The End of the World
by Vanyaria Darkshadow
Summary: Voldemort is at his most powerful ever- Alone and afraid Ginny must fight for her life and save her family. Deep in Azkanban Hermione holds on to the only thing that will get her through her darkest hour. Full sum inside GWDM HGRW
1. Ginny

The End of the World  
  
~*~  
  
Full Summary: It's the end of the summer of 1998 and Voldemort has been back for two years now. After his last failed attempt to kill Harry in his sixth year at Hogwarts, he seems to have disappeared. . . and everything is too quiet. When Ginny goes for a walk around Ottery St Catchpole one day, she returns to find The Burrow demolished. . . and all her family gone. Alone and afraid, Ginny has to fight for her life as she travels across the battling country to save her family. On the way she meets new challenges. . . and falls in love with the most unexpected person. Deep in the heart of Azkaban, Hermione waits in the darkness for her fate to be decided. Surrounded by pain and death, Hermione finds the only thing that can give her strength during this darkest hour - love.  
  
Voldemort is back, and this time no where is safe.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own any of the Harry Potter world, or Hermione and Ron would be together already, Ginny and Draco would be together and I'd be married to Snape, living at The Burrow and driving around in a turquoise Ford Anglia. Just be grateful I don't own them. . .  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter One.  
  
Ginny's shoes crunched over the dusty gravel driveway of her home, The Burrow. There were no clouds in the sky and the sun was beaming down scorchingly on the parched village of Ottery St Catchpole. Two months ago, it would have been a gorgeous afternoon. Now, however, they had seen far too many gorgeous afternoons - there had been no sign of any rain in the small village for five weeks now, and it had been officially declared as a drought crises. There were water restrictions on every part of their lifestyle, and the dry heat was making everyone particularly crabby. Ron and Hermione's continuous arguing had finally driven Ginny out of the house - she couldn't wait for the day when those two finally realised their true feelings and got together. Although Ginny supposed that they would still be at each other's throats most of the time, but there would undoubtably be brief moments of peace if they were snogging.  
  
A stray strand of sweaty hair fell out of her ponytail and dangled in her face and she brushed it behind her ear. She was wearing as little clothes as her parents considered decent - a short, green, strappy cotton sundress and sandals, and yet she was still hot. She longed for the days when she could run around naked under the sprinkler in the back yard. . . although even if she was still at an age where that was acceptable, there was a complete sprinkler ban anyway. The small creek running behind the back of their property had dried up last week, so they didn't even have that meagre comfort any more.  
  
Ginny turned off the Burrow's driveway and onto the grassy strip on the side of the small country road. She kept close to the fence separating the public area from a large grassy paddock surrounded by tall sweeping willows, heading toward the heart of the tiny village. The leaves on the trees were losing their colour and falling off in dry, crispy showers every time a breeze meandered slowly though the sleepy village. The short piece of hair fell from behind her ear again and she puffed at it irritably. Just staring at the fiery redness of it made her feel even hotter - if that was possible. A solitary horse was standing in the shade of the willows near the wire fence. Ginny stopped walking and leaned against the fence.  
  
"Hey, fella," she said softly. "Poor you, having to stand in the sun all day long. I bet you must be pretty hot, huh?" The horse came over to her and she rubbed it's sweaty nose. The horse belonged to the neighbours and Ginny had ridden him several times over the years, before Ginny's dad had had a big argument with the neighbours and they refused to talk to the Weasley's ever again. Mr Weasley never told his family what the argument was about, but they suspected it had something to do with him trying to 'fix' their television.  
  
Ginny left the horse and continued walking aimlessly along the deserted road. She was so bored - there was absolutely nothing to do. And even if there was, it was far too hot to do it. She was definitely at the point of the Holidays when she was looking forward to going back to Hogwarts. At least they had the big lake to swim in there - Ginny felt she would even brave the giant squid just to feel the touch of cold water on her parched skin.  
  
Ginny didn't think anything remotely adventurous or exciting couldn't possibly happen that day. It was far too hot to do anything - even the wind couldn't be bothered blowing very hard.  
  
How wrong she was.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny had been walking down the road for about half an hour before she decided she was ready to face the Burrow and all it's irritable inhabitants again - she could feel her pale skin getting sunburnt. It wouldn't be the first time that summer that her skin had turned lobster red, but that didn't mean that it was more fun the more times it happened. She decided to go back now, before it could get any worse. Besides, the sun was slowly sinking in the sky and dinner would probably be ready soon - she didn't want to be late. Mrs Weasley was in just a testy mood as the rest of the household, and Ginny didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her rants.  
  
She past the lone horse again, who was trying to eat the dry, brown grass in it's field and turned up the driveway to the Burrow. If the sun hadn't been glaring in her eyes then perhaps she would have seen the Darkmark in the sky earlier. . . or the rubble scattered all over the ground where her house used to be. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she stumbled over a broken brick on the ground. Wondering where it had come from she raised her hand over her eyes to shield the sun, she stared up at the Burrow.  
  
What she saw made her heart stop.  
  
There was no Burrow. All that was left was a pile of broken bricks and smashed pieces of wood scattered all around the yard. She recognised all the books, clothes, old toys and furniture that were thrown all around amongst the rubble - all the things she had woken up to and seen every morning. All the things she had seen in her brother's bedrooms, her parent's bedroom, the lounge, the kitchen. It was all here, scattered, broken, ripped, dusty.  
  
But worst of all was the silence.  
  
"Mum? Dad?" she tried to call, but her voice caught in her throat. She stepped over the twisted face of her mothers clock - all the hands were missing apart from Charlie's, which was bent halfway in between 'school' and 'work'. To her left was the stuffed white rabbit her Dad had given her for her first birthday, it's fur matted with dust and one of it's eyes missing, the other scratched horribly. She picked it up and held the mangled fur close to her heaving chest. All of a sudden she was running through the rubble, tears streaming down her face. "MUM! DAD!" she cried, her feet sliding over the remains of her house. She tripped and landed heavily on her hands and knees in the rubble. Dust swirled up in dirty billows around her, sticking to the sweat on her arms, the blood on her hands and knees, and the tears on her face.  
  
"Ron? Hermione! HARRY?!" she screeched into the still afternoon.  
  
But there was no reply. Her body racked with sobs, Ginny threw her dusty hands over her face. Who could have done this? And where were her family? Her friends?  
  
In her heart she knew the answer, even before she turned her tearstained face to the sky and saw, in horror, a giant green serpent protruding from an enormous green skull.  
  
Voldemort had been here, and he had taken her family. 


	2. Hermione

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned the Harry Potter gang, things would be a lot different. If I owned JKR, book 6 and 7 would be coming soon. As it is, all I own is a huge student loan, a harp I can't play, and too many pairs of shoes.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Two: Hermione  
  
Hermione was drowning in a thick, heavy fog. She couldn't see anything - she could only feel the clingy, damp cold that was trying to pull her down further and further into it's black depths. She struggled upwards - she didn't know why she felt that down was a bad place to go, she just knew if she let the cold pull her down then she would die. Her muscles were straining as she tried to pull herself up and out of the cold - she couldn't breathe, her lungs were screaming for oxygen. But she couldn't give in, she just couldn't. She had to survive.  
  
Hermione's eyelid's flickered, but there was no one to see in the pitch black cell. Her hand twitched, barely moving, but moving nonetheless. Her hair was a tangled mess, escaping from the ponytail that had been holding it back earlier that day and falling across her unconscious face onto the squalid stone floor. Her floral sundress was torn in several places and the wet cotton, covered in muck and slime from the cold floor clung to her small frame like a second skin.  
  
In her unconsciousness, Hermione was still fighting against the thick, heavy cold. The cold was sticking to her like glue, weighing down her limbs. No matter how hard she struggled, the cold kept pulling her further down. Her muscles felt like they were on fire - she couldn't make it. She couldn't escape the engulfing cold. She was sinking down. . . down.  
  
NO! her mind cried. You can't let go. . . you can't stop fighting. . .  
  
With a sudden gasp she regained consciousness and her eye's flew open.  
  
At first Hermione thought she was blind - why couldn't she see anything? Where was she? How had she gotten there? Why was she there?  
  
Why couldn't she see?  
  
Hermione could hear steady dripping noise that sounded like it was echoing around a vast, stone cave - it was a dead, lonely sound. Her head felt like it was exploding with pain and she was shivering - it was cold and damp wherever she was. She waved her hand in front of her face - she couldn't see anything. Slowly she sat up. The back of her thin cotton dress was damp. She felt the ground where she had been lying. It was hard, uneven stone. It was so cold it made her fingers hurt by just brushing them over the rough surface. Her fingertips came away covered in a thin slimy coating. She couldn't see what it was, but she felt ill just thinking about the possibilities. She wiped her fingers on her skirt.  
  
Where was she?  
  
Hermione strained her ears, trying to hear something, anything. Just a tiny hint to where she might be. She could hear nothing but the steady dripping of the water and her uneven, ragged breathing. Hermione bit her lip, trying to squash the raw panic that was building up inside her, trying to escape. Just breathe, she told herself. In, out, in, out. . .  
  
The panic subsided slightly with her measured breathing. Her head was still pounding, and she couldn't see anything, but Hermione knew that there would be no way out of whatever situation she was in if she lost it. She had to stay cool, calm, collected.  
  
Wetness was seeping in through her thin clothes, and the thought that her cotton dress was probably ruined beyond recognition suddenly flashed through her mind. The thought was so random and irrelevant in the big scheme of things that giddy, maniac laughter suddenly bubbled up inside her and burst out in a high-pitched, nervous giggle. The sudden noise startled her into silence - what if someone had heard her? Someone whom she did not want to alert to the fact that she was here and still alive. . .  
  
There was a low hiss then a scrabbling noise as something large, wet, and furry ran past Hermione, scrambling over her bare legs. Hermione's hysteria boiled over and she screamed loudly. She leapt to her feet, throwing the bold animal off her naked legs and frantically lurched backwards into the unknown darkness. Her back slammed into a cold, wet wall and the wind was knocked out of her. Her heart was thudding loudly in her chest, adrenalin pounding through her veins as she gasped urgently at the air, trying to draw breath into her desperate lungs. She could still feel the animal's claws scratching at her skin, still feel it's slimy warmth pressing into her legs. Just when she thought she would pass out, Hermione's lungs filled with dank air. Hermione stood with her back pressed against the freezing stone wall, panting unevenly. She could feel wetness on her cheeks and it was then that she realised she was crying.  
  
A sob racked Hermione's shivering body as she let out a shaky breath. She wiped furiously at her eyes, trying to stop the tears that were pouring down her face, but they would not relent. As the adrenalin subsided from her bloodstream, Hermione's blind panic slipped away and was replaced by absolute despair.  
  
She couldn't see. She had no idea where she was, and no idea how she had got there. She was alone, trapped in a black, wet cell somewhere with who knew how many giant rats scurrying around, waiting for her to die so they could gnaw at her flesh with their yellow, poisonous teeth.  
  
Hermione slid down the wall and came to rest sitting on the damp, slimy floor. Her head was still thumping in pain - more so now after all her screaming and running. The scratches on her legs were stinging and she could feel the long marks on her legs with her cold fingers. Hermione stopped fighting back her sobs and they came forth freely, shaking her aching body as she cried vainly into her arms.  
  
For the first time in her life, Hermione didn't know what to do.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione was startled out of her thoughts some time later. She had cried out all the tears she had, and was left feeling empty and exhausted. She brushed away the wet hair sticking to her tearstained cheeks and strained her ears, hoping to hear the noise again.  
  
Yes - there it was. A steady, rhythmic noise, getting slowly louder. Her forehead was crumpled in concentration as she tried to place the foreign noise. She felt like she had been shut up in the stone cell for so long she couldn't remember what it was like to be outside it. . . but she dimly recognised the noise as one she had heard many times in that bright time so long ago.  
  
Footsteps! That was it! Someone was coming to her cell.  
  
With her heart in her mouth, Hermione leapt to her feet. Was someone coming to save her? She twisted her head to the left and right, hoping in vain that perhaps she would see something - anything that would tell her more about the approaching footsteps. It was no use - the cell was as pitch black as ever. . . either that or. . . no - she wouldn't think like that. The cell was just very dark, that was all.  
  
Turning her thoughts back to the approaching footsteps, Hermione tried to work out which way they were coming from - if she found the direction, perhaps she could find the door leading out of here. . . Hermione hit the mucky floor with her fist in frustration - the footsteps were echoing all around the cavernous dungeons. She couldn't tell which direction they were coming from.  
  
Hermione felt an icy hand grip her heart as a terrifying thought occurred to her - what if the person who was approaching wasn't coming to save her at all? Perhaps it was the person who had put her in here coming back to torture her or - Hermione's mouth went dry - kill her. If someone was going to save her, Hermione doubted that they would just be able to waltz in and whisk her away. No, the person coming was no friend of hers.  
  
Breathing fast and shallowly, Hermione waited alone in the blackness for whatever was coming. 


	3. Ginny 2

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters/places/object or related indicia. I do own the plot however. Go me!  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Three: Ginny  
  
Dry sobs clawed at Ginny's raw throat as she sat amongst the ruined remains of her home. Deep shuddering breaths shook her small body as she gasped at the dry, dusty air. The sun was slowly setting behind her, turning the hills and tree tops a vibrant, glowing orange. As her sobs began to die away, terror gripped Ginny's heart as her thoughts turned to what she would do now. Where could she go? Her home was destroyed and all the people she loved and trusted most in the world had been taken away. . . but where?  
  
Ginny refused to believe that they had been killed by Voldemort - this wasn't a random slaughtering. There were no cold bodies lying around, left to rot where they fell. No - this was a planned and calculated attack. Voldemort had come for Harry. . . and left with four other victims as well. Ginny had lost her mother, her father, her brother and two of her best friends.  
  
A defiant look stole across the redheads face. She wouldn't let them die without a fight. She was only small, but she was determined. Love conquered everything, it was said, and she certainly had enough of that to defeat Voldemort.  
  
Ginny stood up resolute, ready for action.  
  
Then she sat down again.  
  
What would she do? What *could* she do? Love might conquer everything, but could it find her family for her? Could it transport her to them?  
  
Ginny let her head drop into her hands. She had no idea where to begin looking, and no way to get there even if she did know. Night was falling, and even though the evenings were long in the late summer, it would be dark soon and she couldn't stay here. What if Voldemort realised that he was missing one of the inhabitants of the house and came back?  
  
One glance up at the fading green skull in the sky made up her mind. She had to get away from here as quickly as possible.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny climbed over the small fence separating her property from her neighbours. She had a small backpack slung over her shoulders filled with clothes and food that she had salvaged from the ruins of The Burrow. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell her neighbours - ("Hallo - my house has just been destroyed by the greatest Dark Wizard of our time and he's taken my family - mind if I kip on your sofa?"), but she couldn't think of anything else to do.  
  
Ginny had decided to go to Bill's house in London - unfortunately she had no idea of how to get there; she was too young to Apparate, Ron had lost the family's turquoise Ford Anglia in The Forbidden Forest five years ago and she was too far away from London to walk. Perhaps after a long sleep she would be able to think what to do.  
  
Ginny walked over neighbours brown and crispy front lawn and up their gravel path to the front door. She took a deep breath and knocked loudly, hoping the right words would spring to her mouth when they answered, because right now she had no idea what to say to these neighbours her Father had managed to estrange several years ago. She waited for several minutes and knocked again when there was no answer. Ginny put her face up to the glass panelling and peered through into the house. There was no movement. Come to think of it, the house looked as if there was no life in it at all - there was no sound of a TV or radio, no sounds of dinner being made, or the dishes being washed. No talking from it's inhabitants, no lights on. Nothing.  
  
Had they gone on holiday? Ginny didn't remember seeing them leave the house - in fact their car was still in the driveway.  
  
She knocked again. Still no answer.  
  
Ginny tried the door handle, and it opened easily - no one usually locked their doors in Ottery St Catchpole except these particular neighbours who thought her family were downright dodgy. If the door was unlocked, they must be home. She pushed the door open a bit and stuck her head inside. She still couldn't hear any life within the house.  
  
"Hello?" she called. "Is anybody home?"  
  
There was no answer. Ginny took a few tentative steps into the house.  
  
"Hello?" she called again.  
  
A little more boldly, Ginny walked through the entrance hall and into the living room.  
  
What she saw there made her scream.  
  
Lying frozen on the floor were her neighbours, Mr and Mrs Maclean. Their faces were frozen in fear and they weren't moving.  
  
Ginny moved closer, her hand clamped over her mouth.  
  
They were obviously dead, and there was no doubt in Ginny's mind how they had got in that state.  
  
Voldemort had been here too.  
  
~*~  
  
Stumbling backwards out of the living room, Ginny's mind was a blur of panicked thoughts.  
  
If Voldemort had been to her neighbours house and killed them, then how many other families had he killed as well? Was all of Ottery St Catchpole dead? Was she trapped in an empty ghost town?  
  
Ginny's breathing shallowed and she ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her. What was she going to do now? She blindly ran down the driveway, her backpack swinging lopsidedly on her back, wanting to put as much distance between her and the carnage behind her as possible.  
  
At the road, Ginny stopped, panting heavily. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest. She straightened the straps of her backpack on her shoulders, and tried to calm her self down. She had to be rational and think clearly.  
  
Her brother Bill lived in London. That was about a three hour drive by car from Ottery St Catchpole. Not that she had a car to drive or any idea *how* to drive, but that's how far it was anyway. It was definitely too far too walk - it would probably take her about three or four days and by that time her family could very well be dead. Ok, so driving was out, and so was walking. She couldn't Apparate, so that was out too.  
  
Ginny was interrupted from her thoughts by a gentle nickering behind her. She turned and saw her neighbours horse, Ebony, standing by the fence. She reached out and rubbed his nose.  
  
"Of course!" she exclaimed. She ran back a bit up the driveway and opened the gate into Ebony's field. "Here, boy," she called, and the horse obediently cantered over to her. She rubbed his nose and his neck.  
  
"Hey, fella," she said softly. "Do you think you can carry me all the way to London?"  
  
The horse snorted and threw his proud head up in the air. Ginny decided to take that as a yes. She climbed onto his back and rubbed his neck. If she hadn't had her mind on other things, she would have perhaps been worried about riding bare back - she had not done so in years. But she didn't cast a single thought on the idea. Curling her hands in his silky mane, Ginny squeezed his sides with her heels and Ebony cantered out of the paddock.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N Big thanks and hugs to all my reviewers - I simply adore reviews, no matter how big or small!!  
  
a spy undercover: Thanks for all the complements! Well. I've written more :) I hope the story is going somewhere now. And your review certainly did encourage me :D Thanks heaps.  
  
Strayc@t: *grins widely* Thanks for the review! Hope I continue to write the rest of this to the same standard :P  
  
Mish1: Glad you like it so far. The story will be alternating chapters between Ginny and Hermione - everything is going to be from their point of views. Thanks for the reviews - if you have any more questions/speculations don't hesitate to ask in a review or email me.  
  
SickGirl42: Good to know you like the sound of the plot! Sorry about the animal scratching your leg lol, but it's good to know that all the imagery and whatnot is so clear :D Thanks for your great reviews!  
  
Olivia: Aaaah. . . my no1 fan. What can I say apart from. . . you really ought to be studying for your exams! But don't, coz I like your reviews - much more important to do that than study - pft. Study. And at least reading fanfic is a constructive way to procrastinate. . . you could be lighting fires or stealing babies. This is much better :D Thanks for all the reviews! Don't stop!  
  
Crystal: Glad you like the plot! Of course I'll write more - and don't fret, Draco will be entering the plot soon. Actually, it might be a few chapters yet (maybe chapter 7?), but I promise he will be there and he will play a very big role!  
  
Thanks once again to you all!! If anyone has any questions (apart from whats going to happen :P) feel free to ask in a review or email me golden_guinea_pig@hotmail.com If anyone wants me to email them each time I update, then just leave your email in a review, or email it to me as well.  
  
Love you all! xox V 


	4. Hermione 2

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Whatever. You know I don't own it, and unfortunately I'm not making any money from it. But reviews are worth more than their weight in gold to me, so that's even better than money :P Only not quite as useful. . .  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Four: Hermione  
  
Hermione stood, waiting in the absolute darkness. The footsteps were coming closer and closer - slow, heavy footsteps. Hermione didn't know from which direction they were coming from, or whether they were friend or foe.  
  
The footsteps became very loud, and then suddenly stopped. There was a low, muffled incantation and a heavy door slowly swung open in front of Hermione.  
  
At last Hermione could see! Through the doorway was a flickering yellow light - a candle. It wasn't much, but it was more than she had seen for hours. It took her eyes a moment to adjust, then she glanced quickly around her confinement. It was a lot smaller than she had imagined - about 10 feet by 8. The walls, ceiling and floor were roughly chiselled out of a dark stone. Her eyes travelled back to the open doorway. She only saw a glimpse of the hallway beyond, before her view was blocked and she focused on a large, hulking figure in the doorway. She couldn't see the person's face - they were silhouetted by the candle light. Hermione didn't know whether to speak or not. She decided not too.  
  
There was a brief scuffle, and Hermione realised that there was another, slightly smaller figure in the doorway as well, standing in front of the large person. The smaller was given a heave from behind, and stumbled into the cell. They fell onto their hands and knees and stayed there, too exhausted - or perhaps too hurt, to move.  
  
The hulking figure in the doorway lifted his wand and growled "Crucio". The victim on the floor lost his balance and fell flat on the slimy ground, yelling and writhing in agony. The light from the wand illuminated the tortured figure and Hermione screamed, her fingernails digging deep half- moons into the side of her face.  
  
"Ron!" she screamed, horrified and frightened. The torture continued and Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from the haunted, agonised expression on his face. She screamed again.  
  
The large figure in the doorway lifted his wand away, and Ron lay still on the ground, breathing shallowly. Hermione started towards him, wanting to comfort and help her friend, but the figure in the doorway turned his wand upon her.  
  
Hermione's body was filled with unbearable pain. Every nerve, every cell, every part of her body was white hot with fire. Her piercing shrieks bounced around the stone prison, reverberating off the walls echoing down the long corridor behind the tormentor. Hermione fell to the ground as her body twisted and contorted in pain. She thought she was dying. . . she wished she was dying. Death would be better than this utter agony. It felt like years went by; years of electric pain slicing through her very being like poisoned shards of glass.  
  
Then it stopped.  
  
Hermione lay panting on the ground in the filth and muck. Her face was wet with tears hand her whole body still ached. Her throat was hoarse from screaming, her nerves still stinging from the curse.  
  
The large figure in the doorway backed away, and the door began to close.  
  
"No! Oh God, please no!" Hermione whispered faintly, but she was too feeble to move. The door slammed shut with a final bang and the room was cast into darkness once again.  
  
Hermione was filled with despair as her sight was once again stolen from her. She lay on the cold, rugged ground as her eyes filled with desperate tears again. She stifled back a sob.  
  
There was a shuffling sound a few metres away from her.  
  
"Hermione?" whispered a low voice.  
  
"Ron?" she sniffed. "Oh, Ron. Where are we?"  
  
There was more shuffling as Ron crawled over to Hermione's weak body. She felt his hand bump her arm in the darkness, and she clutched his hand in hers, holding on to it as if her life depended on it.  
  
"We're in Azkaban," Ron's voice echoed around the cell hollowly.  
  
"Azkaban. . .?" Hermione took a shuddering breath. "But - why?"  
  
Ron took a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself, keep his voice steady.  
  
"You-know-who. He's got us prisoner here," he said quietly.  
  
At these words, visions of the afternoons events came flooding back into her mind. The unbearable, still heat. . . her cotton dress sticking sweaty skin. . . Ron staring at where her dress clung. . . her yelling at Ron. . . throwing a cushion at him. . .  
  
But he didn't duck - he was staring, pale-faced, frozen in horror at something behind her. . . she turned. . . and saw an evil, snake like face with eyes glowing red like hot coals. Voldemort. She saw his white, spider- like hand lift his wand in the air and point it at her chest. There was a flash of blinding red light. . . and then nothing. The next thing she knew, Hermione had woken up in here, with no idea where she was or how she had gotten there.  
  
"How did this all happen, Ron?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I - I don't know." Ron rubbed his tired face with his free hand. "He stunned you. Then he bound me and Harry together. We lost our wands in the struggle. Voldemort left and found my. . . my parents," Ron's voice cracked, but he continued. "Then he brought us all here. The Dementors are guarding the prison again, but all the real prisoners are free. Voldemort set them all free. . . he has a whole new hoard of Death Eaters now." Ron's voice trailed off. Hermione sat up and peered into the darkness at where she thought Ron's face would be.  
  
"Why are we here, Ron? Why hasn't he just killed us? What happened to you when you came here? Is everyone else ok?"  
  
Ron was silent.  
  
"Ron? Is. . . is Harry alive?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why hasn't Voldemort killed him?" Ron was silent again.  
  
"Look, Hermione. I don't know, ok?" Ron snapped.  
  
Hermione was rather taken aback.  
  
"Ron? What's the matter?"  
  
"What's the matter? WHAT'S THE MATTER? Hermione - we're held prisoner by Lord - er -You-know-who. Isn't that enough reason to be. . . whatever I am."  
  
"Whatever you are? You're unhelpful and useless and. . . and - God, Ron. I woke up in this hell-hole hours ago. I had no idea what I was doing here, or how I got here. I could see nothing, I could hear nothing. I was trapped all alone in some unknown darkness, and for the past God-knows-how- many hours, I've been wondering what the Hell is going to happen to me," Hermione's voice rose shrilly and she realised she was crying again. She was becoming hysterical, but she didn't really care any more. It seemed to Hermione that nothing could really get much worse. "There are rats in here, Ron. Big ones. Big enough to eat me, I expect, if they all ganged up on me. But I CAN'T SEE THEM. I can't see ANYTHING. All the time I've been in here I've been trying not to wonder if I was blind or not. But it's hard not to think about that when you have nothing else to do except think, and wonder and speculate -"  
  
"Well, excuse me, Hermione." Ron jerked his hand out of Hermione's grasp. "I'm so sorry you've been having such an awful time in here away from all the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who, but I just watched Lord Voldemort torture my Dad to death, so I'd say we're both about even, don't you think?"  
  
Hermione sat in silence, too shocked to speak. The steady dripping of water seemed far away as she became light-headed and dizzy. Feet away from her, obscured by darkness, Ron's brave front crumbled and he buried his head in his hands. 


	5. Ginny 3

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, the places etc etc.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Five: Ginny  
  
Ginny was exhausted. She had not ridden so far or so hard in years. She had rode Ebony at a gallop for three hours before finally stopping. The horse's black coat was slick with sweat and his mouth was foaming. Once darkness had fallen, Ginny had stopped at a small stream where she let Ebony drink his fill. She lay herself down under a tree by the tricking water, muscles she had not used for years aching and throbbing. Her hands were red and sore from clutching the horse's mane tightly, and the insides of her thighs were chafed from the horse's sides. Ginny reached into her backpack and pulled out a jersey her mum had knitted for her last Christmas and pulled it over her head. She dug around again in her bag and found a couple of Chocolate Frogs, which she ate without tasting them.  
  
Ginny guessed it must be around ten-thirty. She was still out in the countryside, several hours away from London and her brother, Bill. Ginny wanted to keep riding, never stopping until she reached her brother, but she knew if she kept forcing herself onwards, neither she nor the horse would make it. She had to pace herself.  
  
Ginny decided to rest for a few hours. It was very secluded at this spot - no one would find her. She had no rope or anything to tie Ebony up with and had to hope that the horse would not run away while her back was turned. She glanced over at the tall, proud animal and thought that it was probably too worn out to do so anyway.  
  
Using her backpack as a pillow, Ginny lay down on the hard ground. She gazed up through the trees and saw glimmering stars peek out from behind the foliage as a slight breeze gently rocked the branches. She felt her eyelids droop slightly. Ginny tried to fight the drowsiness threatening to overtake her, but all the events of the past few hours had drained her of her energy. She had been running on pure adrenalin for the past three hours, but now that she had stopped forcing herself onwards she was feeling very tired and weary.  
  
The small stream trickled ever onwards to her right. Above her, the leaves whispered softly. Ebony moved quietly near the stream, tugging at some long grass in the ground and nickering quietly.  
  
As Ginny drifted off to sleep, the faces of her family danced through her mind. Squeezing her eyes tightly, Ginny prayed that they were ok, wherever they were.  
  
~*~  
  
The early morning sun broke it's way through the tree's leaves and glanced across the ever-moving water. Ginny awoke to find that she had slept soundly through the night. Ebony was drinking from the small stream, refreshed from his night's rest. Ginny sat up, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't meant to sleep for so long - she had only wanted a brief rest before continuing to London. Stiffly, Ginny stood up - her muscles were sore and tired from all the riding last night. She splashed some icy water from the stream onto her face to help her wake up and found a slightly squashed pumpkin pasty in her bag. She ate half of it quickly, giving the rest to Ebony and brushed the crumbs off her hands. She picked her bag up from the ground and swung it over her shoulders.  
  
"Ready to go, Ebony?" she said softly as she rubbed the horse's dark neck.  
  
She hoisted herself up onto the animal, wincing as the muscles protested loudly in her thighs. She deliberately tried to ignore the throbbing and urged Ebony out to the road again. As much as Ginny wanted to blindly gallop off again, she knew that she would have to take it more slowly now. She still had several hours of riding ahead of her, and if she forced Ebony to go too fast they would simply never make it.  
  
~*~  
  
Riding alongside the road on the grassy verge, Ginny had only one thought on her mind - her family. Where had Voldemort taken them, and why hadn't he just killed them? She hoped with all her heart that they were all still alive and ok.  
  
The sun rose higher in the sky and the air became hot and muggy as the drought continued. Sweat began to bead on Ginny's forehead and trickle down her back, but she rode on, riding through small villages, past orchards and pastures. Everywhere she went was deserted. There were no farmers out in the fields; no people walking down the village streets to do their shopping. There were no children playing in the front gardens. Ginny deliberately didn't think about what had happened to all the people. . . if she did, she knew she would panic, she would break down. The only thing that was keeping her going was the hope that she would reach her brothers place by nightfall, and the two of them would be able to rescue the rest of her family. . . before it was too late.  
  
It was around midday when Ginny and Ebony stopped to rest. They had been riding for almost five hours. Ginny ate a big lunch from the food in her backpack while Ebony grazed on the grass that grew long in the shade of a large oak tree by the road. Ginny knew she was getting closer and closer to London - the villages were becoming larger and closer together; the sections were getting smaller and there was less farmland. Ginny knew that soon she would have to leave Ebony behind and continue on foot - London city was no place for a horse.  
  
Ginny finished her lunch and sat for a few moments in the shade of the old oak tree. She screwed up the wrappers from her food and stuffed them away back in her bag. She watched Ebony as he walked slowly forward, his head bent down low and his great teeth pulling chunks of green from the earth. His tail flicked lazily as several flies buzzed around in the humid afternoon. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful. Ginny thought that perhaps if she tried hard enough, she could almost imagine that nothing had happened - that this was just another lazy summer afternoon in the middle of a drought. She could pretend that there weren't villages full of missing people - that she hadn't spent the morning riding through empty neighbourhoods, past abandoned houses.  
  
Ginny shook her head. There was no point in reflecting on what should be. The fact was that her family and two best friends had been kidnapped.  
  
Ginny climbed painfully to her feet - her thighs were screaming, her back was aching - her whole body was in agony. But she refused to give in to the pain. She had to keep going.  
  
"It's not far now, Ebony" she told the horse softly as she climbed stiffly back onto his back. "We'll only go a bit further together, and then I have to leave you behind."  
  
With those words, she steered him back toward London, and together they set off again.  
  
~*~  
  
Barely two hours later, Ginny came to what she knew was one of the last fields before London. Soon she would come to miles and miles of residential area - millions of homes packed closely together, separated by countless numbers of roads and fences. The field stretched several miles away before it was cut off by a wire fence. Ginny saw that part of the fence had been knocked down - there were lots of tools and machinery around the gap - obviously people had been working to fix it before. . . before. . . Well, anyway. Ebony would have plenty of food and water here. He could go into the next paddock across and up into the hills behind the farmhouse. Ginny knew he would be safe here.  
  
She climbed off Ebony's back and led him into the field. Ginny rubbed Ebony's neck.  
  
"You've been so good, Ebony. You've carried me so far. I have to go alone now, though. You can't help me any more." Ginny swallowed a lump in her throat - she almost didn't want to leave Ebony. He was the only creature left in the world it seemed - the only friend she had left. Leaving him would be like leaving behind the only connection she had left to life. Ginny closed her eyes and buried he face in the horse's dark mane. When she left this field she would be all on her own. The horse shifted slightly and Ginny pulled away. She looked into the horse's large, dark eyes.  
  
"Be safe, Ebony, ok?" she whispered. The horse turned his head and licked the salty tears on her cheeks. She smiled wistfully and then pushed him away. "Go, Ebony - go."  
  
The horse felt her hand push him on his rump, and he knew the little red- headed girl who had been so kind to him didn't need his help any more. Without glancing back, the beautiful animal cantered off, the hot white sunlight shining over his rippling body. Ginny lifted her hand in goodbye, then she turned and left the field. 


	6. Hermione 3

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own characters, places or related indicia. Am hoping to get a Snape duvet for Christmas and my own pair of robes, but nothing that's mentioned in this story.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Six: Hermione  
  
Hermione was in shock - to learn that one of her best friends fathers had just been killed was not something she had been expecting. Not out of the blue like that. Not yelled at her when she was in the middle of a rant about her miserable time in the cell. She had been so preoccupied with her own predicament that she hadn't even thought about Harry or Ron or the Weasley's. Hermione felt sick inside.  
  
"Your Dad?" she whispered. "Oh, Ron."  
  
Hermione groped through the darkness in front of her until her hands found Ron's trembling body. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. Ron buried his face into her shoulder and together they sat in the darkness, grieving for the man who had never (deliberately) harmed a soul.  
  
~*~  
  
Time passed and as Ron's sobs subsided, the two were once again left alone in silence. Her arms were going numb from holding them in the same position, and her back was beginning to ache from sitting in a rather twisted position. Hermione could feel Ron's heart beating against her chest through their thin summer clothes.  
  
Ron was so big now - Hermione remembered the first day she had met him on the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts. That was six years ago, and she had never really noticed how much they had all changed since then. Ron had always been the tall one, but now he simply towered above her and Harry, although he was still rather skinny and gangly. Harry was still rather short, but he had finally bulked out a bit and didn't look half as starved as he did after living with the Dursley's for ten years.  
  
"Remember the first time we all met?" Hermione asked, more to break the deafening silence than anything. She unwrapped her arms from around him and tried to shake the pins and needles out of them without him noticing.  
  
"Yeah. . . on the Hogwarts Express," Ron remembered. "Harry and I thought you were a right nutcase."  
  
Hermione put her hands on her hips and scowled into the darkness as she settled herself back down on the floor near Ron.  
  
"Yes, well. I didn't think very fondly towards you two either. Honestly, you two were uncontrollable the way you would just run off around the castle in the middle of the night and pick fights with Malfoy. After all the idiotic things you two did in your first year alone it's a bloody miracle you didn't get expelled."  
  
"Hey!" Ron sounded rather indignant. "If I remember correctly, *I* wasn't the one who got detention in the Forbidden Forest for being out of bed in the middle of the night with a dragon."  
  
"For starters, we weren't caught with Norbert, so we couldn't have been punished for that. And you know perfectly well I was breaking only the rules to help Hagrid. I wouldn't have done it otherwise."  
  
"Yes you would have."  
  
"Ron Weasley, I most certainly would have not. I have never broken rules unless it's been absolutely necessary."  
  
Ron snorted, but didn't bother answering. Sometimes Hermione was really stuck in her own little world.  
  
Silence fell again.  
  
Hermione desperately racked her brains for something to say before Ron's thoughts turned back onto his father - she thought that the only way they would get out of the situation alive was if they kept their spirits up.  
  
She was just about to open her mouth to ask him who he thought would win the next international Quidditch game - the French Quafflepuncher-things or the something-or-other Macaws from New Zealand - when there was a loud scuffling from the other side of the room. Hermione jumped in surprise, but Ron was even more shocked - obviously what Hermione had told him about the rats had not sunk in and he had assumed they were completely alone.  
  
"What the-?"  
  
"Rats. Big ones," Hermione nodded. "Lots of them."  
  
"Oh? Is that all," Ron said. "Sounded like some zombie trying to dig himself back up out of his grave, or something."  
  
Ron wasn't at all afraid of rats, having owned one as a pet years before (although that had turned into a bit of a disaster. . . but that was really another story). If he had actually seen the rats, or been attacked by one as she had, he probably wouldn't have been so calm about it, Hermione thought.  
  
"Er. . . you don't suppose there are. . . er. . . spiders in here, do you?" Ron said suddenly.  
  
"Probably. They'd have to be big ones too, I guess. All they have to eat in here are rats."  
  
"And us," Ron replied darkly.  
  
"Oh - Ron. Sorry, I forgot you don't like spiders. Er. . . well. I'm sure there aren't any in here. And. . . and anyway, Spiders don't like the dark, do they?" Hermione thought quickly, chewing her lip and hoping he didn't actually know anything at all about them.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. That was very convincing, Hermione."  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well then, I'd advise you to stay away from the walls in case you get caught up in the cobwebs. You might not want to stand up either, you're head would make a great duster."  
  
Ron scowled. He didn't appreciate comments about his height. Especially not when they were having such a serious conversation.  
  
"You can laugh all you want, Hermione. I won't be saving you from the massive spiders when they all eat you."  
  
"No, you'll be cowering on the floor and hoping they don't eat *you* as well, wont you, Ron."  
  
Ron gave up - Hermione was far too smart to argue with.  
  
There was once again an uncomfortable silence, in which both their thoughts turned to dark things.  
  
Hermione wasn't sure what to say to Ron - what did you say to someone who just watched their father getting killed by Voldemort? Harry's parent's had been killed, yes, but that was sort of different - it had happened years and years ago. And. . . well. . . it was just different.  
  
Hermione desperately wanted to know what had happened - what Voldemort had said, why he had killed Mr Weasley and not Ron and the rest, where Mrs Weasley was, and Ginny and Harry. . . but she didn't want to bring the subject up again. . .  
  
Hermione sat silently in the dark, chewing her lip.  
  
"It was quick," Ron suddenly spoke. "My. . . my Dad, that is."  
  
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it again when nothing appropriate came to her mind to say.  
  
"I suppose dying quickly is better than being tortured."  
  
"Yes. I - I suppose it is," Hermione said tentatively.  
  
Ron didn't seem to have anything more to say. In the darkness, Hermione reached over and held Ron's hand and together they sat in the darkness, remembering the red-headed wizard they had both loved. ~*~  
  
A/N: Next Chapter: We finally meet Draco! Hopefully. . . ok, I promise that he will be in there. Even if the chapter has to be like, 12 pages long he will be in there. So YAY! for all you Draco fans out there. . .  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers! Sorry this chapter has taken awhile to get posted. No excuses other than that I'm lazy. I've also been trying to do the next chapter in Sev's Diary and it's proving to be rather more difficult that the others. No idea why. Maybe because I haven't read it so many times or perhaps because the story is just so much darker and sadder and it's much harder to make funny. . . I don't know. Anyhoo. . .  
  
SickGirl42: Thanks for all the reviews!! They're always really good. Glad you like it so far, hope you liked this chapter just as much.  
  
Ms. Hermione's Laughter: I know! I almost cried writing it, coz Mr Weasley is one of my favourite characters. . . but I wanted to illustrate just how bad their situation is. Hope you keep on enjoying the fic.  
  
Mish1: Hehe - I can't tell you his plans yet. . . You'll discover them when Hermione and/or Ginny do. So you'll have to keep reading :D  
  
Marvindamartian: I'm glad you like it so far! Yay! Sorry I haven't been updating lately. . . but will hopefully start posting again sooner as the next chapter starts to get a bit more exciting.  
  
Olivia: thanks for all of the reviews luv! You're truly amazing :D I'm SO jealous that you went to the LotR premiere! I had to settle with watching it on TV. . . but was still hyperventilating with excitement, so it's probably very good I didn't go - there's no way I would have handled it!  
  
Butterfly kisses 3: Yes, Ebony is smart, and Ginny is a good rider. She's also magic and obviously has a special connection with animals. Terribly sorry that your horses aren't as obedient.  
  
Thanks to you all once again - you're the reason I write all this stuff :P 


	7. Ginny 4

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Seven: Ginny  
  
The growing sense of apprehension that was gnawing away at Ginny's insides was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore as she travelled closer and closer to London. When travelling on horse, all her energy was put into directing Ebony on the correct path, and staying upright on the proud beast. Now that Ginny was on foot her mind suddenly started working overtime. As her pace took on a steady rhythm, the monotonous sound of her footsteps lulled Ginny into deep thought and more and more doubts crowded into her mind - what happened if Voldemort and his Death Eaters had reached London before her? Would she have travelled all this way only to find her oldest brother lying dead in his apartment? Or was he, too, taken hostage by the Dark Lord? And what then? How was she to save her family and friends if she had no help?  
  
The sun began to set in the West and Ginny's shadow grew longer and longer on footpath. She had finally reached the outskirts of London, where all the houses were packed in close together, separated by roads and fences. The vast fields were gone and the only plants she could see were brown and dying shrubs in the small gardens of the houses.  
  
She kept on walking, her ears alert for any sound that could indicate life around her, but there was nothing. Ginny had not heard the sound of any living person since she had left the Burrow yesterday afternoon. The eerie silence did nothing to help Ginny's anxiety.  
  
The dark of night found Ginny still walking, each step taking her closer and closer to the heart of London and to Bill's home. Now that she was in the massive city, the lack of human noise was not just unusual, but down right disturbing. Out in the countryside, it was possible not to see or hear anyone for days on end, but she was in London now. Even in the dead of night there were always noises - rushing cars, music from houses, late night joggers. But now - nothing. Residential houses slowly gave way to towering offices and shopping centres. It was only around eight in the evening, but there were no lights in the windows of the offices. None of the displays in the shop windows were lit. There were no cars speeding down the roads, no late night shoppers. Faced with the absolute emptiness of the city, Ginny's worst fears seemed to be coming into realisation.  
  
She was totally alone.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny began to panic. If there was no one around, then Voldemorts Death Eaters must have already been here. If they had been here, then everyone was dead. . . and that included Bill. And where were the Death Eaters now? Had they finished their work here? Had they moved on to other areas?  
  
Or were they still in the city, waiting around the next corner to kill Ginny when she walked unsuspectingly past?  
  
Ginny suddenly felt exposed in the bright streetlights. There could be Death Eaters hiding anywhere - around the corner, behind the phone box, in one of the offices towering above her.  
  
Blind with panic, Ginny broke into a run. Her tired feet slapped loudly on the pavement, the noise bouncing around the deserted road. Her thighs were screaming and her lungs were gasping for air and as sped further and further into the heart of the city. She had to get to Bill's. . . she had to make sure he wasn't there. He was her last hope, the only chance she had left. If he was dead, then her whole family might as well be dead. And without any hope of finding help, Ginny knew it would only be a matter of time before she would be dead too. She couldn't hide from the Death Eaters forever - they would soon catch her.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny clutched at her ribs as the stitch in her side felt as though it was tearing a hole in her body. Her worn sandals thudded loudly on the pavement as she pushed her tired body onwards. Tears of exhaustion and fear began to slip from her eyes and mingled with the sweat running down her flushed face. Air ripped her throat as she gasped for breath. She was only a few blocks away from Bill's apartment. She was so close. . . so very close.  
  
Then suddenly she heard noises - yelling, screaming. Loud voices were crying out in the still night. Ginny stopped abruptly, her chest heaving as she sucked in deep breaths of air.  
  
She could hear people screaming - women and men's terror slicing through the night, assaulting her ears. There were other voices too - dark, terrifying voices. Cruel laughter, booming curses. Ginny's heart clamoured loudly in her throat as the full realisation of the danger she was in hit her.  
  
The Death Eaters were in London. They were killing and torturing, both muggle and wizard. No one was spared from their wrath. . . and she was in the middle of it all.  
  
The voices were coming nearer - as screams of pain were cut off in the throats of those who were killed, new screams began in the Death Eaters fresh victims. Ginny could now hear the sound of running feet mingling with the shouts of horror and fear. She looked behind her and could see explosions of green and red in the sky above the towering buildings as spells were misfired into the night. As she stood, staring in horror at the empty road behind her, a terrified muggle woman ran out of a side street and onto the main road. Clutching a small child to her chest, the woman turned frantically in circles, looking for a way to escape. The child was clinging to his mother's body, his high pitched screams piercing Ginny's ears. The woman turned away from Ginny and began to run again, her curly brown hair streaming behind her, and Ginny was strongly reminded of Hermione - that woman had parents and a family and friends, like Hermione. She was an innocent bystander in this war of good and evil. The child's screaming red face was still visible over the bushy-haired muggles shoulder when they were joined on the street by another person. Striding purposely into the centre of the road, the Death Eater's robes swirled around their tall, willowy body. A tall figure of menace, symbolising fear, hatred and death, the Death Eater stopped walking and raised their wand. The muggle woman looked behind her and screamed, her voice rising in an awful chorus with her child's.  
  
They were both dead before they hit the ground.  
  
Bile rising in her throat, Ginny found herself backing away in horror. She had just witnessed the murder of a young mother and her innocent child. She had never seen anyone die before. As she watched, the Death Eater's wand sent the leering green Dark Mark into the sky as if their actions were nothing out of the ordinary.  
  
Ginny turned and fled.  
  
~*~  
  
There was a shout behind her as the masked Death Eater heard her loud footsteps. Adrenalin coursed through her body, pushing her to run faster than she had ever run. Panic stricken, Ginny turned right onto a narrow side street, as a beam of green light barely missed her and crashed into a clothing stop on the corner. Glass rained down as the windows smashed, but Ginny kept running, not even noticing the shards of glass cut into her flesh. She turned down another street, her backpack sliding around on her back. Thighs screaming in protest her legs kept pumping. Ginny turned left onto another street with her backpack sliding haphazardly on her shoulders. Her lungs screamed as her ragged breathing tried to supply her body with precious oxygen. Sweat poured down her face and body, making her flimsy cotton dress stick to her back and legs. Stumbling with exhaustion Ginny kept moving forwards. She could hear the Death Eater's footsteps gaining on her, she could hear their angry shouts. There would be other Death Eater's joining them, hunting her down like a pack of wolves.  
  
Ginny turned onto a tiny unlit alleyway, used by trucks to deliver goods to a department store. Blindly running, she crashed heavily into a tall person standing in the shadow. She flew backwards onto the ground, the breath knocked out of her.  
  
Struggling to draw breath, Ginny tried to scream, but her lungs would not work. This was it. This was her end. She was about to be cruelly slaughtered in a flash of green light, like so many millions who had already gone that way before her. Or maybe they would torture her first, making her twitch and writhe on the ground in pain. Bleeding from her cuts and scratches from the broken window, aching from her hours of riding, walking and running, and crying from utter exhaustion and despair, Ginny gazed up in dread at the person whose wand would be her downfall.  
  
Her green eyes travelled up a black-robed figure. They passed over the wand pointed straight at her chest and stared in terror at the pale, unmasked face staring back at her. As their eyes locked, Ginny felt her heart stop in horror.  
  
She was about to be killed by Draco Malfoy.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N *sings* cliiiiiiiffhanger! Next chapter up soon I hope, in which we may indeed find out more of what happened to Ron and Co when they were kidnapped, then chapter 9 after that in which we resolve this nasty nasty cliffhanger :D 


	8. Hermione 4

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 8: Hermione  
  
They had been sitting in the darkness for a long time. Hermione wondered how many days had gone past since she had gained consciousness in this pitch-black nightmare. It felt like years to Hermione, but although she was dreadfully hungry and thirsty, she wasn't dying. Yet. In reality she doubted that she had spent much longer than a day inside the dungeon.  
  
Ron's hand felt cold and clammy. Hermione thought that hers probably felt the same way - it wasn't getting any warmer in the dungeon and they were, after all, dressed in summer clothes. Unfortunately there was no summer in their prison. Only darkness.  
  
Hermione had been sitting with Ron in silence for what seemed like a long time - although with no light, and no way to keep track of the time, it could have been anywhere from 10 minutes to 10 hours. She wondered whether she should ask Ron what had happened between him leaving the Burrow and getting thrown in the dungeon with her. She was dying to know what had happened, and any little bit of information she had might help her figure a way out of there.  
  
She cleared her throat.  
  
"How - how long do you think we'll be in here for?" she asked tentatively, Ron's outburst at her last set of questions still fresh in her mind.  
  
She felt his hand moved as he shrugged.  
  
"I don't know," he replied dully. "Until He kills us, I guess. Or we starve to death."  
  
Hermione's heart felt as though as icy hand was squeezing it. She hadn't wanted to think about their time in the dungeon ending like that . . . she was trying to be positive and see a way out. But now that Ron had made the cold statement, Hermione realized that he was probably right. Hermione didn't have her wand with her, so she couldn't use magic. And even if she did there were probably so many wards and charms on the dungeon that a wand wouldn't have been much use anyway. And then if they *did* get out, there were dozens and dozens of full grown witches and wizards (Death Eaters at that) outside waiting to get the chance to curse them to oblivion.  
  
The situation seemed hopeless.  
  
Except for one thing. . .  
  
"I don't think they're going to kill us just yet. I mean, they could have done that back at the Burrow. Why keep us locked up? Why go to all that trouble?"  
  
Ron was silent. Perhaps he didn't want to think about it. Perhaps he knew. Either way, Hermione seemed to go off into her own little world, as she usually did when trying to solve a mystery. Only this time she would have to do it without a library.  
  
It was going to be tough.  
  
~*~  
  
The same thoughts and questions were spinning around and around in Hermione's mind until she thought her head would explode from all the confusion. Why were they here? Why hadn't they been killed? Were they going to starve to death? Was Voldemort going to come for them? What had happened to Harry and Mrs Weasley and Ginny? Why was Mr Weasley murdered and not the others? What were Voldemorts plans? Did the Order know what had happened? Were they planning a rescue mission? Was Dumbledore on his way right now to set everything straight and release Ron and her from this dark confinement?  
  
Frustrated at not being able to find out any answers, Hermione stood up and began to feel her way across the small cave. It only took her a few cautious steps before her hands hit the freezing stone wall. Sliding her hands across the rough stone, Hermione made her way around the circumference of the room, trying to feel for any gaps, any weaknesses. But if there was anything to feel, Hermione's fingers were too numb with cold to find them. Discouraged, Hermione sat down again, having no idea where in the room Ron was, and not really caring anymore.  
  
It seemed as if there was no way out at all. She was destined to die in this cold, dark room. She would probably hit the floor, her spirit already soaring away through the thick stone that had trapped her earthly body, without even seeing the light of the outside world again. She would never get to see her parents, or Harry, or the Weasleys, or Hogwarts and all her professors and students. Hermione's forehead creased as she struggled to hold back her despondent tears.  
  
She had solved so many mysteries with Harry and Ron over the six years they had been friends. They had always managed to pull through and come out the other side, scratched, frightened, and often devastated at the events that had happened, but they had always survived. But now it didn't seem like they would be so lucky. Hermione had finally come across a mystery that she simply could not solve. And this time it was going to cost her and her friends their lives.  
  
Hermione had no idea that she would soon find out the answers to some of her questions . . . and when she did find out, she would give anything not to know.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N a really short chapter, I know and I apologise for that. But this is really more of a filler-in than anything else. Just a bridge between the exciting things that's happening with Ginny . . . but in chapter 10 things start to heat up. Hermione meets Voldemort face to face and finds out the answers to some of the questions she has been trying to figure out. That's right dears; things take a decided turn for the worse for poor Hermione. You thought they were bad now, right? Well, you haven't seen anything yet.  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers!! I think I'm bigger fans of you than you are of my story :D  
  
Next chapter - back to the Ginny and Draco standoff - is he going to kill her? Curse her? Turn her in to the Death Eaters that are hot on her trail? Chapter 9 up soon . . . 


	9. Ginny 5

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: The closest thing I own to these characters is my Snape action figure (I don't think he'd appreciate being called a doll. . .) and he's kinda crossed eyed . . .  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 9: Ginny  
  
Ginny lay trembling on the hard concrete ground of the alleyway, not noticing the stones and bits of rubbish and old chewing gum she was sitting on. She was bleeding from many scratches to her face and arms from the glass window that had been smashed by the curse that was supposed to have killed her. Her legs were aching more than they had ever ached before in her life, and her chest was heaving, trying to suck in air.  
  
But none of this she noticed. All her focus was on the wand levelled straight at her chest . . . and the silver-blonde wizard holding it.  
  
She seemed to be sitting there for a long time, waiting for him to say the two words that would curse her life away . . . waiting . . . but he didn't speak. The sounds of the Death Eaters were coming closer - their outraged yelling and shouting, their stampeding feet stamping along the road.  
  
"Do you have the guts to kill me, Malfoy? Or are you going to hand me over to your father?" she spat, trying to act confident, act brave, live up to her Gryffindor status. But inside she felt anything except courageous.  
  
Draco stood there and said nothing. Ginny tried to read his expression, see what was going on behind those cold eyes.  
  
Suddenly and without warning, he pulled his wand away and yanked her forcibly to her feet. He dragged her down the alleyway further into the dark and pushed her roughly against the brick wall of a tall building.  
  
"If you want to live, you have to listen to me," he whispered urgently, his eyes darting down the end of the alleyway where they both expected the horde of Death Eaters to appear at any moment. "They'll be here any minute, and they won't show you any mercy. Run down this alley, go over the fence and turn left. Keep running as fast as you can for three blocks - don't stop, don't look behind you, just run. When you get to Suffolk Road, turn right and keep running. There's another alleyway down there, it's on your right. Go down there. There's a back entrance to a cellar underneath some rubbish bins. Move them and go down into the cellar. Stay there. Don't move."  
  
Draco's spoke fast and urgently in his low voice. Ginny barely heard his words - what was he doing? Why was he trying to help her? Was he leading her into a trap?  
  
"Why should I trust you, Malfoy? Why don't you just kill me now and get it over with? I refuse to be played with before I die. Just kill me now," she hissed through her teeth, pushing him away from her. He grabbed her arms again and squeezed them tightly, shaking her roughly as he spoke.  
  
"For Merlin's sake, Weasley. Do you want to die? They're coming for you. You don't have time to be an idiot. They won't just kill you, they will torture you. They will put you through so much pain that before the end you won't remember anything. You won't remember your name or your family; you won't remember what it was like to be happy. All you will feel is pain, white hot, searing through every nerve of your body. You won't even have the strength to beg them to kill you. GO! If you want to live, RUN!"  
  
He shoved her down the alley towards the other end. Turning back in confusion, Ginny saw Draco's face and recognised fear etched across his pale features.  
  
"Run!" he whispered urgently. A jet of red light shot past the other end of the alley, and Ginny heard the loud smashing of glass as it connected with another window. She needed no more urging.  
  
Turning away from Draco, Ginny ran for her life. The end of the alley was blocked off by a tall cross-wire fence. Frantically she scrabbled up it, but her feet couldn't get hold and she kept slipping back to the ground. Panting heavily again, Ginny glanced back. Draco was running the other way, pulling a black mask out of his pocket. Fighting back panicked tears, Ginny turned back to the fence. There was a small gap underneath it, and Ginny dived for it. Wriggling her body along the ground, she squeezed through, feeling wire scrape her arms and the back of her head. Then it snagged on her back pack. She tugged frantically, trying to pull herself through. Grunting with the effort, she strained against the force holding her back. She heard a loud shout, and didn't need to look behind her to know that she was discovered. Slipping her arms out of the straps of her bag, she slithered the rest of her body through the gap, grazing her knees across the concrete. She turned and tugged frantically at her bag, trying to loosen it from the fence's hold - there was a ripping sound as fabric tore, but the bag was still immovable. A streak of red light flashed past her head - she could feel its scorching heat sear her skin as it only just missed by inches. Leaving her bag behind, Ginny turned left and ran.  
  
Blinded by her fear, Ginny sprinted down the road. She ran faster than she had ever run before - no longer trying to stay quiet, or hidden in the shadows, Ginny forced her tired legs to carry her down the middle of the road. Stray hair fell out of her ponytail and stuck to her face with sweat. All she could hear was the blood pumping through her ears, and the slap of her feet on the road. Another bolt of red light flew past her, missing her by several feet and crashed into a garbage can on the other side of the road. The metal can exploded loudly, spilling rubbish onto the street. More jets of red began to fly past her as she leapt over the rubbish, and Ginny knew it wouldn't be long until one of them hit her - and it would only take one hit to kill her instantly. She reached down into her very depths and found the last ounce of strength she owned. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ginny forced herself to move faster. Gritting her teeth, she kept running. The tall sign post pointing out the road Draco told her to take was only a few feet ahead - gasping at the humid night air, she skidded around the corner, almost falling over in her haste. She regained her balance and continued running, looking to the right for the alleyway Draco had told her about - she had to reach it before the Death Eaters came around the corner, or they would know where she was hiding. Finally she saw it. She threw herself around the corner. Near the brick wall at the end of the alley was a cluster of overflowing rubbish bins. She ran down to them and frantically moved them aside, looking for the door. There it was - not much more than a trapdoor in the ground. She grabbed the rusty handle and jerked it upwards. The door opened revealing crumbling concrete stairs leading down underneath the building. Without wasting anytime to stop and think, Ginny threw herself through the entrance, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Almost falling down the stairs in exhaustion, Ginny stumbled down into the underground room. She collapsed onto the dirty floor, panting heavily. Each breath she took tore at her throat. Her legs and feet throbbed horribly - they didn't even feel like they belonged to her anymore. Her face was flushed and sweaty and she pressed it to the cool ground. She closed her eyes and holding back sobs, she tried not to think of the pain. She focused on listening for any sounds - did the Death Eaters know she was here? Were they following her? She couldn't hear a thing.  
  
Perhaps Draco really was helping her. Perhaps he had just saved her life.  
  
But why?  
  
Wiping the sweat off her face with a weary hand, Ginny lay in the dark silence and waited for whatever was coming next.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N - Um. . . I don't know if you know what cross-wire is. In fact I expect you don't coz I just made that word up. In New Zealand we call it Chicken Wire and that is such a weird colloquialism that I doubt anyone else would know what the heck I'm talking about. Or maybe it's a standard world-wide weirdness. Go figure. So anyhoo I made up a word that I though described it better as I have no idea what they call it in Britain. Or anywhere else for that matter. But just to try and unconfuse you tad, if you want to see a picture of a chicken wire/cross-wire fence then go to  
  
or (a tear jerker picture if ever there was one). Hope that cleared that up. I would be interested to hear what you would call it in whatever country you come from, so leave it in a review if you want :D  
  
So anyhoo, he didn't kill her. Happy? Yeah, yeah. We know he couldn't kill her or the story would be pretty lame from now on. But there you go. He hasn't killed her, but has he helped her? Or led her into a trap? Will she be found and taken to Azkaban with the rest of her family?  
  
Next Chapter: Hermione learns some answers. Why? Because she meets the Death Eaters who have captured her face to face . . . and the most evil one of all, Voldemort. Stay tuned to find out why he let her live . . . 


	10. Hermione 5

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 10: Hermione  
  
It was Ron who first heard the footsteps - Hermione was too deep in thought.  
  
"Hermione - do you hear something?" Ron's voice suddenly cut through the darkness. Hermione jumped, jolted out of her thoughts.  
  
Frowning her forehead in concentration, she listened.  
  
"Footsteps," she whispered. "They're coming back."  
  
Ron shuffled over to where Hermione's voice came from and grabbed her small, cold hand in his.  
  
"What do you think they're going to do?" he whispered back, the panic in his voice very clear as his words bounced around the room.  
  
"I - I don't know. Maybe they're bringing someone else in here. Maybe they're bringing us food or something . . ." Hermione's voice trailed off as the footsteps became louder. Ron was squeezing her hand so tightly that Hermione thought her fingers were probably turning purple, but she didn't say anything - the colour of her fingers was awfully trivial in the face of the unknown danger that was coming there way.  
  
Hermione felt her heart thumping loudly in her throat, and despite the freezing air, sweat had broken out across her forehead and down her back.  
  
The footsteps became louder, and it soon became evident that there was more than one set echoing around the dungeons - there were at least two people coming.  
  
Any hopes that the approaching footsteps would be friendly - or at least civil - were thrown from Hermione's mind - it didn't take more than one person to bring a couple of bowls of porridge or a mouldy piece of fruit.  
  
The footsteps grew louder until the echo's bounced madly around the small enclosure, sounding as if Ron and Hermione were surrounded by dozens of people. Then they stopped.  
  
A low voice growled out a few words and the door magicked open. Silhouetted by the flickering candlelight behind, Hermione and Ron saw not two, but four hooded figures. Panic gripped at Hermione's throat and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Her short (practical, she always said) fingernails dug deep half moons into Ron's badly trembling hand.  
  
For a long time it seemed as though the figures were just going to stand there. Hermione's lungs were screaming and she realised she was holding her breath . . . but she didn't let it go. Her mind was yelling unreasonably at her, telling her not to move, not to make a sound - perhaps they would just go away.  
  
They didn't.  
  
The first of the four stepped over the threshold and into their tiny prison. A low rumble from the hooded wizard lit the end of his wand and Hermione was blinded by the sudden light - her eyes had not seen anything more than the faint candlelight from the hallway beyond their dungeon door for over eighteen hours.  
  
Blinking and cowering like small nocturnal animals caught in a spotlight, Ron and Hermione huddled together on the cold, slimy floor.  
  
The other three figures entered the room and flanked the first on either side. Before Hermione had time to wonder what they were going to do, she was thrown backwards by the force of the curse aimed at her by one of the Death Eaters.  
  
She convulsed on the ground as the electric pain sped through her nervous system, setting every inch of her body on fire. The wizard cackled wildly as her deafening screams were magnified a hundredfold in the cold echo of the dungeons. Her body was bashed and beaten on the stone ground, but she felt none of that - the pain of the curse was too intense to notice anything outside of her body.  
  
On the ground next to her, Ron was shuddering and howling as the same curse ravaged his body as well.  
  
The pain continued forever . . . Hermione's head was screaming - please let her die. To die would be such relief . . . please, please put her out of this pain. . .  
  
Just when she thought she could stand no more pain, it stopped. She lay panting on the ground, tears flowing freely down her muddied face. Her hair was wilder than usual, dirty and slimy from the floor. Her nerves were still stinging from the curse and her body ached from the new bruises and scratches she had received from the rough stone floor. She felt drained of energy - she was too tired to move, too tired to sob. She closed her eyes and felt her mind drift up and away, leaving her aching, broken body behind as she fell into blissful unconsciousness.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione woke slowly. Her eyes were unfocused and bleary, and her head felt as though it had been run over by a truck - or possibly two.  
  
Where was she?  
  
Hermione struggled to make her brain work faster - it seemed to be moving so sluggishly and slowly, as if trying to wade through a thick swamp.  
  
It was brighter in here . . . certainly brighter than in the complete blackness of the other cell. And she was standing upright - that couldn't be right. She had been lying down before. How did she get there? She tried to move her hand, but it felt heavy and lifeless.  
  
Her vision slowly swam into focus.  
  
From what she could see, she was in a large, circular room. Twenty feet away, free-standing candelabras stood side by side against the black stone wall ahead of her. As she gazed at these, the only decorations she could see in the room, she realised that the candelabras were some sort of black metal carved into the shape of long, entwined serpents. Glittering green stones were inset as the snake's eyes, and in the flickering candlelight they seemed to be alive and aware, watching her and guarding her.  
  
As the heavy fog in her mind slowly cleared, Hermione realised that she was tied to a large pillar in the centre of the room - thick, heavy rope pinned her hands to her sides and it seemed as if she was being held there by magic as well - she couldn't move at all.  
  
Hermione's head still pounded as he closed her eyes in resignation. She had been moved out of her freezing, dark prison to be tied up here.  
  
Opening her eyes again, Hermione felt her heart skip a beat - the snakes had moved. She was sure of it. They were twisted in different positions . . . entwined around each other in different ways . . . had they moved while her eyes were closed? Or was her overtired mind playing tricks on her?  
  
Suddenly remembering Ron, Hermione tried to look around the room, but she couldn't turn her head. All she could see was the black stone wall in front of her, and the eerie snake candelabras.  
  
She had no idea where they had taken Ron . . . Hermione only hoped that he was better of than she was. But she didn't know where would be better - tied up in this strange, creepy room, or locked away in the pitch blackness of the other dungeon.  
  
What was going to happen to her now?  
  
~*~  
  
The snakes were alive. They were watching her. Their emerald eyes glinted with life. Every time she closed her eyes - even for a second - they moved. Hermione could swear they were getting closer, closing in on her.  
  
She could hear the dry slithering of their jet black bodies as they moved. She could hear them hiss softly, menacingly without even moving their mouths. The tall black tapers they held never grew shorter as the minutes passed; they didn't go out or melt molten wax down their sides.  
  
She could feel them closing in closer and closer behind her where she couldn't see. It would only be a matter of time before they reached her . . . and then what?  
  
Would she feel their cold, scaly bodies twist slowly up her legs? Would they slither under her dress and around her bruised body and squeeze her until she could no longer breathe? Or would they slide slowly up her body until they reached her face and smothered her? Or would they kill her quickly with a single bite from venomous fangs?  
  
Hermione's heart raced wildly in her chest and her eyes flicked frantically from side to side, trying to catch the snakes moving. She never saw them alter position, but no matter how fast she moved her gaze, they always changed the second she took her eyes off them.  
  
They were getting closer and closer. Hermione guessed they were only about ten feet away from her now. She could feel the terror building up inside her, welling itself up into a fiery ball in her stomach.  
  
She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back her screams. She clenched her fists into tight balls; she could feel every muscle in her body tensed with fear.  
  
She wasn't going to scream. She wasn't going to let the snakes know she was afraid. She wouldn't let them know she knew they were moving. She would stay calm. She would stay composed. She wouldn't panic.  
  
A cold, dry body slithered over her foot.  
  
Her terror swelled and she could not longer hold it in. Closing her eyes she screamed shrilly. She screamed until her lungs ran out of air, screamed until she could scream no more.  
  
There was something wrong - there were no scaly bodies climbing up her legs . . . nothing rubbing against her calves.  
  
She opened her eyes. The snake candelabras were back around the walls, holding their black candles high against the stone walls. They were standing is if they hadn't moved at all - as if they had been there all along. Perhaps they had been. Perhaps it had all been her imagination.  
  
But all thought of the snakes had been pushed far out of her mind.  
  
Standing ten feet in front of her, pale faced and hooded in swirling black robes, was Lord Voldemort. "Mudblood filth," he hissed as his red eyes glinted coldly and his white face screwed up in disgust.  
  
All of a sudden, Hermione wished she was back in the dark.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N Jeepers creepers this is a long chapter. I mean, not compared to the 10,000 word ones some fanfic authors churn out, but long for me :P Creepy too *shudders* ew, snakes.  
  
And yeah . . . I remember promising you that there would be answers in this chapter . . . but there aren't really, are there. BUT if it makes you feel any better, I have already written the draft of the next chapter!! The more reviews I get the more motivated I will be to check it and make sure it's good and happy and raddaradda and then I can post it! Hurrah for quick updates!!  
  
Chapter 11: It seems like Draco has saved her, but has he really? Or has he just led Ginny into a Death Eater trap?  
  
Stay tuned for the next dialogue-packed instalment of "The End of the World". . . (Ha-ha! How cheesy. I definitely watch waaay too many soaps.) 


	11. Ginny 6

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Eleven: Ginny  
  
Ginny seemed to be lying tensely in the dark for quite awhile before she decided to move. There was no light in the cellar, and she didn't have her wand - it was in her bag, which was (she presumed) still stuck in the fence. She blindly shuffled across the dusty floor, her hands in front of her to feel her way around. She bumped into a large object and almost jumped out of her skin. Placing one hand on her chest to try and soothe her heart, she felt the big object with her other hand. It seemed to be a large couch, or chair. Ok, so there was a chair in there. That was good. Just as she was getting ready to go around the chair and continue to explore the cellar, she heard a loud crashing noise - someone was at the basement door moving the rubbish bins.  
  
Her heart leapt into her throat and she dived behind the couch. It was quite close to the brick wall behind and she hit her head quite hard against it in her haste. Lying there in the dark, Ginny waited in silence, ignoring the throbbing on her skull and trying to listen if someone was coming down.  
  
Her view was completely obscured by the couch, but when the door to the outside was opened, the room briefly lit up with a dim grey light, before the door slammed behind whoever it was coming down the stairs. Ginny bit her lip and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Who was there? Did they know that she was there? Had she been discovered? Had Draco really led her into a trap?  
  
Before she had much time to dwell on such questions, Ginny saw a small flickering light fill the room over top of the couch.  
  
"Ginny?" a hoarse voice whispered. "Ginny, are you here?"  
  
She thought she recognised the voice, but she said nothing - it could be a trap after all - and the faceless voice let out a string of expletives. This language brought a clear picture of the intruder to her mind, and she crawled out from behind the couch to come standing face to face with Draco Malfoy.  
  
"You're mother would be disgusted with that language, Malfoy."  
  
Draco, pretending not to be surprised to see the red-head crawl backwards out from behind the mangy old couch, raised his eyebrow and stared at her coolly.  
  
"My mother *taught* me that language. You have cobwebs in your hair, Weasley."  
  
Angrily, Ginny swiped at the offending cobwebs as Draco lit several more candles around the room with his wand.  
  
"Where are the rest of the Death Eaters?"  
  
"I'd prefer if you didn't include me in their group. I might be a Slytherin, but I can assure you that there is more to becoming a Death Eater than just being sorted into the right house. Or the wrong house, depending on how you look at it," he added.  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"Looking for you, still. Killing some other people on the way."  
  
"Do they know I'm here?"  
  
"If they did, then I doubt they would waste their time searching for you in places where they knew they wouldn't find you."  
  
"For Merlin's sake, Malfoy. I hardly think this is the time for jokes."  
  
"I hardly thought I was joking."  
  
She glared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowed and her hands on her hips.  
  
"Why did you tell me to come here, Malfoy?"  
  
"I guess I'm not as heartless and sadistic as you like to think I am."  
  
"As I like to think you are? As long as I've known you - as long as you've damn well *lived* - you have never done a decent thing towards another living being unless it benefited you."  
  
"Especially not towards a Gryffindor," Draco agreed, nodding his sliver- blonde head.  
  
"Yes, exactly. Wait," she said, squeezing her hands into fists in frustration. "Stop agreeing with me. Just tell me why you saved me, Draco, and I will go and you will never have to see me again."  
  
"I guess deep down somewhere I must have a decent bone in my body. And I never said I wanted you to leave."  
  
"Well I'm not staying here to be your initiation-into-Death Eater-hood sacrifice, thank you very much, Malfoy," she sneered sarcastically.  
  
"Do you really think I'd kill you?" Draco looked genuinely surprised.  
  
"Do I think you'd kill me? Frankly, Draco, yes. And I think you'd enjoy doing it."  
  
"Well you don't know me very well then, do you, Weasley."  
  
"I don't really want to. I already know enough to be repulsed by you - any more details and I might have to throw myself off a cliff."  
  
"Well, good luck finding a cliff in the middle of London City. And good luck getting there before the Death Eaters catch you."  
  
Ginny stood there glowering at Draco.  
  
"I know *you* find it highly amusing that people are getting killed all around us and that I could be next, but I'm finding it a bit hard to laugh at the situation, Draco."  
  
"If I thought I would get a kick out of seeing you killed, I wouldn't have told you to come here. Will you stop letting your pre-conceived opinions of me get in the way of logical thought? I'm not going to kill you, I didn't lead you here so someone *else* could kill you, and I certainly don't want to see all my efforts to *get* you here go to waste just because you're too proud to accept the fact the maybe I did something nice for once. It's your damn Gryffindor pride. A most unfortunate trait to have, I must say. It makes you very disagreeable."  
  
"Well what would you like me to do, Malfoy? Grovel at your feet and praise you for saving my life? Because, quite frankly, I would have rather been killed back there than be stuck in here for Merlin knows how long with you as my only companion."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind for next time, then," Draco replied and turned away from her. He began to climb the cellar stairs, when Ginny stamped her foot in frustration.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Out," he said, not turning around. "I got the impression that you didn't want to be here with me."  
  
"Oh, right," Ginny replied. "You got *that* impression, but you seemed to completely miss the part about me wanting to know answers. You know, like why you're acting like a good guy now and why you saved my life. Little stuff like that."  
  
"Oh, I got that part. I just didn't think you'd want to hear the answers."  
  
Ginny blinked. That was not what she had expected him to say.  
  
"Why not?" she asked.  
  
He turned around slowly and fixed her with a level gaze.  
  
"I saved your life because I could. I don't get many opportunities to do good things. Besides," he added off-handedly. "Now you're in debt to me. Personal debts always come in handy at some point or another."  
  
"So it *was* for your benefit, then?" she spat, not wanting to believe that he could do anything out of the goodness of his heart. She had trouble enough believing he *had* a heart.  
  
"No, I didn't think of it like that at the time. It only occurred to me now that you owe me your life."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well what are you going to do now, then? Keep me locked down here as your personal slave?"  
  
"As delightful as that sounds, Gryffindors simply don't make good slaves. Hufflepuffs are better workers. Hardworking. Loyal. That sort of thing. Gryffindors make better torture victims - it's highly amusing when the finally crack and beg for mercy. If there's one thing that can be said for a Gryffindor is that it takes a lot to break their pride."  
  
Ginny didn't respond to this - she was pretty sure he was joking (again - honestly, this really *wasn't* the time) but you could never tell with Slytherins. Especially Death Eater Slytherins.  
  
"Look, you can stay here as long as you want, or you can leave and run around the streets doing whatever you were doing before you decided to play tag with those Death Eaters, I don't care. But I would advise you to stay here for a few days until they've all finished in London and moved off to kill people in another part of the country."  
  
"A few days?" Ginny seemed to forget that she was on the run from the Death Eaters, and currently hiding in some stranger's cellar with one of her arch-enemies. "I can't stay here for a few days. My family could be dead by then. I'd rather die trying to find them than find out that they all died when I was waiting for it to be safe to keep looking," she said vehemently. "It's never going to be safe. I could stay in here for years and still run the risk of being captured and killed when I finally emerged. If they didn't find me down here first."  
  
Draco looked surprised - Ginny figured that he wasn't high enough up in the Death Eater ranks to know about it yet. Draco climbed back down the stairs and stared into Ginny's face, trying to figure out if she was having him on.  
  
"Your family? Why? Where are they?"  
  
"I have no idea. I think they were kidnapped by You-Know-Who."  
  
"Kidnapped? Why? How come you're not with them?"  
  
"I don't know why. I don't know where they've been taken, or if they're still alive. I only escaped by lucky chance. I went for a walk and when I got back they were gone. The house was destroyed and there was no one left."  
  
"So you ran all the way to London hoping to find a big sign saying 'Kidnapped Weasleys Here' so you could waltz inside and ask the Dark Lord nicely for them back?"  
  
Ginny scowled.  
  
"I was going to my brother's house. I figured he could help me. But I guess he's been killed, or kidnapped, or has run away somewhere safe."  
  
"If he lives anywhere around here then I expect he has," Draco agreed.  
  
Ginny was silent. There was nothing more to say, really. Draco was being no help to her, dodging questions and cracking sarcastic jokes every two minutes.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll just have to think of a new plan, then," Ginny said. Avoiding eye contact with Draco, Ginny sidestepped the blonde and made towards the stairs.  
  
"So you're just going to go out there with no plans, no wand, no food, no help and expect to find them before the Death Eaters find you?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrow again.  
  
Ginny stopped, one hand on the banister, and glanced back over her shoulder.  
  
"No, I don't expect to find them. But I'm going to die trying," she said coldly. With that, she turned her head back and climbed the stairs, leaving Draco looking shocked and confused in the middle of the dingy cellar.  
  
"Wait - don't go." Ginny stopped again and turned around on the stairs. "Was it just your family that disappeared?"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.  
  
"I mean," Draco began hesitantly. "I mean, if Potter was taken with them, then I might be able to help you."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N - lots of dialogue in this chapter. I tried to keep them both in character - Draco a cocky, self-righteous, Gryffindor-hating brat, and Ginny a fiery, Slytherin-hating Girl-Power Girl ^_~ I refuse to make them mary-sues. If something's worth doing, then it's worth doing in character ^_^  
  
Hmmmm . . . this is my longest chapter ever, I think. Even longer than the last. Lucky you! Or unlucky if you didn't want to read it . . . but then stupid you for reading something you didn't want to :P And second chapter in two days! That's certainly not a record for me, but I feel very efficient anyhoo. It's probably going to be awhile until I update again as I will be without decent internet access for an undetermined amount of time starting tomorrow. I'll still be able to read them (hopefully!!!) but I'm not going to sit around in an internet café for hours typing up fanfiction . . . I don't have a life, nor any dignity anymore, but I simply don't have that much money ^_^  
  
Next Chapter. . . VOLDEMORT . . . rah. Scary stuff. Will find out answers like I promised for the last chapter. Except this time it WILL happen.  
  
Coming Soon: Special guest appearances by Tortured!Harry, Spy!Snape, I'mEvilAndHaveanAwesomeName!Bellatrix. Other people too . . . where are all the Weasleys? Fred and George? Bill? Charlie? Percy? Mrs Weasley?  
  
More Torture, More Snakes, More scariness and more arguing. Wow. How can you stand the suspense _  
  
A ZILLION thanks to every single reviewer. You are the people who inspire me to keep writing. Every time I get a new review I can't stop grinning for the rest of the day. It's amazing how something so seemingly small and insignificant like clicking a purple button and typing a few words can have on a persons life. Hinthint. :P 


	12. Hermione 6

The End of the World.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Twelve: Hermione  
  
Voldemorts red eyes flashed evilly in his pale face. Hermione couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. Even if she hadn't been tied up, she didn't think she would have been able to run. She stood frozen in fear against the stone pillar, her wide, terrified eyes locked onto those of the most evil wizard in the world.  
  
Harry had faced Voldemort so many times in the past - Hermione had always admired his bravery, his luck. She had never, ever dreamed that she would find herself face to face with him. Tied up in front of Voldemort now, every single spell she had learnt, any helpful advice she had ever read or heard from Harry had flown from her mind. She was completely alone, completely defenceless.  
  
"Mudblood filth," he hissed again. Hermione tried to find the words to ask what he wanted with her, why she was here, why he hadn't killed her, but her mind seemed disconnected from her body - her mouth wouldn't form the words, her voice was silent.  
  
"Potter's Mudblood girlfriend," Voldemorts cold voice cut through her frightened mind. "How disgustingly Gryffindor of him to choose such an unworthy companion." He took a step closer to Hermione and she felt cold terror ripple down her spine. "Still, even I cannot deny that Muggles and Mudbloods have their uses. . . my dead Muggle father unknowingly helped me regain a body of my own. . . Potter's Mudblood mother saved his life by sacrificing her own. . . and now you. . . you are going to help me."  
  
An electric surge of hate for this evil wizard ran through Hermione's body and her fear was momentarily replaced with rage.  
  
"Never!" she shouted, her voice thin and high as it echoed defiantly around the circular room. As her voice died away, she instantly regretted speaking so boldly and rashly. Voldemorts eyes narrowed to thin, red slits in his sinister face.  
  
"You dare defy me?" he spoke in his cold, high voice.  
  
His pale, spider-like fingers reached inside his robes and pulled out his wand.  
  
"Gryffindor bravery will not save you or your friends. The longer you defy me, the more horrifying and painful your death will be."  
  
He threw out his arm, pointing his wand at the center of her chest.  
  
"Crucio," he cried.  
  
At once, razor sharp pain spread throughout her body. She screamed and tried to writhe within her rope bonds. The heavy cords cut deep into her flesh, but the pain was nothing compared to the curse that was ravaging her body.  
  
Voldemort took his wand away and the spell was lifted. Hermione hung limply against the stone pillar, the ropes tying her to it the only things keeping her on her feet. Sweat and tears mingled together and made thin tracks as they coursed down her grimy cheeks.  
  
"You *will* help me," the Dark Lord continued. "You will help me because you have no choice. You will help me because you have no future other than death - the only choice you have is how you die. Will you choose a fool's death - painful, long and lingering? Or a quick and painless death? It is your choice. . ."  
  
Breathing heavily, Hermione struggled to make sense of his words - how on Earth could she help him? What did he want her to do? And why would she help him when her only reward would be death?  
  
The ropes binding her cut deeply into her wrists and ankles. Her skin had been rubbed away by the harsh fibres and she could feel warm, thick blood trickling down her hands. Every time she took an unsteady breath, her ribs throbbed where the rope around her chest had restrained her during Voldemorts Cruciatus curse. Her stomach was churning with nausea and her tongue was swollen with thirst - she had had nothing to eat or drink for hours now.  
  
Any hopes that she might be saved slipped away from her tired, abused mind. Surely death would be better than this? A quick curse could end all of this. . . all this pain, this torture, this fear. . . it was all in vain. Voldemort had her trapped. The only release from this hell would be a quick, painless death.  
  
Taking in a laborious, shuddering breath, Hermione made up her mind.  
  
"What do you want me to do?" she whispered.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N took ages to get this chapter up, didn't it? To be honest, I had a bit of a writer's block but yep. Back on track now. So now we know why Voldemort hasn't killed Hermione yet - he wants her to help him. But what does he want her to do? Where is Harry? Ron? The others?  
  
Next chapter - back to Ginny and Draco. What does he know about Harry? Will he be able to help Ginny? What about Lucius and the other Death Eaters - and is Draco one of them?  
  
The more reviews I get, the quicker you'll find out. . . (oh how I adore my reviewers!!! I love each and every one of you! Constructive criticism welcome - help me not to make Hermione and Ginny Mary-Sues!) 


	13. Ginny7

The End of the World  
  
oOo  
  
Chapter Thirteen: Ginny  
  
"No, I don't expect to find them. But I'm going to die trying," she said coldly. With that, she turned her head back and climbed the stairs, leaving Draco looking shocked and confused in the middle of the dingy cellar.  
  
"Wait - don't go." Ginny stopped again and turned around on the stairs. "Was it just your family that disappeared?"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.  
  
"I mean," Draco began hesitantly. "I mean, if Potter was taken with them, then I might be able to help you."  
  
Ginny stared at Draco, not sure if she could trust him to tell her the truth - was this just a bluff to get her to stay?  
  
"You. . . you know where they've taken Harry?"  
  
"Yes. Well. . . no, not exactly. But I can find out."  
  
"You can?" Ginny felt a brief flutter of hope in her chest, but squashed it quickly - she didn't want to get her hopes up. Draco Malfoy's sense of humour was a mystery to her - this could all be some sadistic joke. . . "How?"  
  
A shadow seemed to pass over Draco's face. Her turned away from Ginny and strode over to a rather battered-looking cupboard in the corner. He opened its doors and began to rummage around inside.  
  
"Malfoy?" she asked, frowning slightly. "What is it? Tell me."  
  
Draco said nothing. Flickering candlelight bounced off the back of his silvery head, but Ginny couldn't see his face. She climbed down the stairs and crossed the room to stand behind him, hands on her hips and frown on her face.  
  
"How are you going to find out where he is, Malfoy? I have a right to know. If you don't tell me then I'll just leave right now-"  
  
"For Salazar's Sake, Weasley," Draco snapped suddenly, spinning around to look at her in the face. His grey eyes glinted as cold as steel in the candlelight and his skin seemed even paler than usual. "What difference does it make to you how I find out if it helps you find your family? It's best if you don't know what I have to do, okay? Just. . . just don't ask any more questions."  
  
He turned away from her again and pulled out several tin cans from the cupboard.  
  
"Here," he said, shoving them into her hands. "Eat these. I have to go. Don't leave this room under any circumstances until I get back. Don't make any loud noises, don't set the place on fire and for Salazar's sake, don't even think about following me. I don't know how long I'll be, but there's plenty of food in here if you believe the labels on these Muggle can- things. I have no idea how you open them, but no-doubt a Muggle-hugging Weasley like yourself does."  
  
He strode past her, pulling his wand out of his robes and he left. When he was halfway up the stairs, Ginny finally managed to collect her thoughts.  
  
"Wait!" she cried. "Where are you going? You can't just leave me here - if you're going to go find out where Harry and my family are then I'm coming too."  
  
"Don't be a stubborn prat, Weasley. You take one step out of this cellar and you'll be cursed into oblivion. You have to stay here," he glared at her menacingly, his face ashen but determined. "Promise me you wont leave. Give me your word you'll stay put."  
  
Ginny narrowed her eyes at the arrogant Slytherin, seething that he would dare treat her like this.  
  
"I don't have the patience to deal with your bloody Gryffindor stubbornness right now. If you ever want to see your family again you will do exactly as I tell you. What good are you to your family if you die before you take ten steps out the door? They won't think you died bravely, they will know you died because of your own stupidity and pigheadedness. Swear to me that you wont leave this room."  
  
Ginny glared furiously at him, her cheeks turning pink with fury. How dare he treat her as if she would just run out of this basement into a crowd of Death Eaters and beg they kill her. Anything Draco could do, she could do. She took in a sharp breath, about to give him a piece of her mind when several sparks flew out of the end of Draco's wand.  
  
"Promise me, Weasley, or I swear I will curse you. There is no Ministry any more. There's no Minister of Magic. No one's going to give a damn if I hex the hell out of some stupid Gryffindor who values her pride above her life. If I have to curse you so you can't leave, I will."  
  
He raised his wand and Ginny could see in his eyes that he was deadly serious.  
  
"Fine," she hissed through clenched teeth. She began to add a snide remark about running off to the Death Eaters, but he had already gone. As soon as he had her word, he had turned on his heel and bounded up the rest of the stairs with a swish of his long, black robes. She heard him slam the trapdoor and pull the rubbish bins over top to disguise the entrance.  
  
With an angry snarl, she hurled one of the cans across the underground room. It bounced off the exposed brick wall on the other side and it fell, dented, to the dusty ground.  
  
How could she even trust that arrogant Son-of-a-Death-Eater? He was probably going to find his Dad and all his hooded pals to tell them all about how he managed to trap another Gryffindor. What a bastard.  
  
She threw the other can across the room where it landed with a clang next to it's dented brother.  
  
"Bloody Slytherins," she huffed as she sat down with a scowl onto the mouldy couch. There was nothing else she could do but wait for Draco to return. . . and hope that he brought back news of her family with him, not more Death Eaters.  
  
oOo  
  
A/N Argh Draco. . . is his constant stubborn silence annoying you yet? I'm thinking of writing a super-special Draco chapter to tell you all the stuff he gets up to. . . but that's up to my lovely readers - do you want a Draco chapter? Or do you just want to find out as Ginny does? If I do write one, it will probably be chapter 16, so you have a few more chapters to decide if you want it or not.  
  
Next Chapter: Hermione finds out what Voldemort wants from her - will she help him? Or will he ask her to do something that she can't actually do?  
  
A million galleons to everyone who has reviewed this story. I got such a great response for the last chapter that I wrote this one really quickly. I'd write everyone's names here but there are too many. . . so these are just the people who reviewed the last chapter.  
  
Lotwen - Thanks for the reassurance. Mary-Sues are so annoying. . . Glad you like it so far, hope you liked this chapter as much :D Thanks for the great review.  
  
pr4 - well. . . here's an update. A relatively quick one too. Hope you like it :)  
  
Mo the Death Eater - lol - I don't mind if you only read the Ginny pages (they're the ones I like writing best anyway) but thanks for reading the other ones as well. And reviewing, of course. I feel very flattered that you read it all! Here's another Ginny chapter for you though, hope you like it as much as you liked the rest. I'm afraid it's Hermione's turn again next chapter. . . but chapter 15 is back to Ginny.  
  
Sage and Snape - yay, you're back! Have certainly missed you around ff.net. Yeah. . . the last chapter was pretty short, and this one is too, but when I tried to pad it out it started sounding really cheesy and mary-sueish. . . so I left them shorter. Glad you're still reading, can't wait til your next update :P Oh and a HUGE thank you for recommending Sev's Diary! Merlin, you are a legend.  
  
TheAngelofCrimsonTears - wow - you love it? Thanks! I feel very honoured. Hope you continue liking it!  
  
Ms. Hermione's Laughter - nope, not dead, just lazy :P But this chapter was up pretty quick compared to the last one. . . I'm not sure when I'll be updating "Only Us". To be honest I can't actually remember what the plot was going to be. But if you're still interested in that fic, then tell me and I'll definitely start working on it again! Thanks for all the compliments - I feel so loved lol.  
  
tempusfugit3 - oooh thanks so much for the review. . . here's more, what do you think? You'll find out what Voldemort wants from Hermione in the next chapter, and hopefully that will be up pretty soon.  
  
Kitti - Draco is definitely acting pretty suspiciously, huh? Even more so in this chapter. . . who's side do you think he's really on? Guess you'll find out in chapter 15. . . Thanks so much for the review! 


	14. Hermione 7

**The End of the World.**  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Hermione

"What do you want me to do?"  
  
If Voldemort was surprised that Hermione had given in so easily, he did not show it. He stood directly in front of her, wand held steady at his side.  
  
"Tell me how to kill Potter," he said, slowly. "Tell me what spells are protecting him. Tell me all the charms that Muggle-loving fool Dumbledore has placed on him. Tell me how I can kill him once and for all."  
  
Hermione was silent - this request was so completely unexpected. Voldemort wanted her to tell him how to kill Harry? The worlds most evil wizard wanted _her_ advice on how to kill his arch nemesis and one of her best friends?  
  
"I - I don't know," Hermione stammered.  
  
Voldemorts face twitched nastily and one of the candelabras behind him fell over with an almighty crash that echoed loudly around the room.  
  
"Do not lie to me, Mudblood!" he yelled. "I know you are close to him. You have known him for many years - you know his strengths, his weaknesses. You know what spells are protecting him. I have overcome the protection provided by his Muggle mother's sacrifice, but there are others. Some I know of, some I do not. . . but I know you do."  
  
Hermione didn't know what to say. Voldemort had kept her and the Weasleys imprisoned and tortured all because he needed inside information on the forces guarding Harry? The truth was that she honestly _didn't_ know - she had researched many different methods of magical protection, but she did not know the specific charms placed on Harry. She didn't even think Harry knew - she was almost positive he would have told her and Ron if he did know.  
  
"I'm not lying. . . I don't. . . I have no idea. . ." she whispered.  
  
Voldemorts eyes seemed to glow brighter in his anger until they were two hypnotising red coals set in his livid face. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from his mesmerising eyes, no matter how terrified they made her.  
  
"Very well then, Mudblood," he spat. "Let's see how much more you will know by tomorrow."  
  
He lifted his wand at her again and Hermione felt her aching body tense as she realised what her ignorance would cost her.  
  
She did not hear him speak the curse, but once again her body was assaulted with unbearable pain. Her high-pitched shrieks filled her own ears as her body was whipped and jerked around uncontrollably, straining against the rough ropes holding her. Searing, electric heat shot through her body, from her skin to the very core of her being. Her head was flung back against the stone pillar and the ropes ripped at her already torn wrists and ankles.  
  
Voldemort lowered his wand and as he walked away, Hermione slipped back into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

Hermione felt dazed and disorientated. She squinted her eyes open - she could see a hazy light and a couple of shadowy figures moving about.  
  
Her head hurt - it felt as though someone had been repeatedly hitting her with some heavy object. Her limbs felt sore and heavy, and they still prickled slightly as an after effect of repeated curses.  
  
She scrunched her eyelids shut tight, trying to refocus her eyes. Opening them again, the world was still slightly fuzzy, but she could see that one of the shadowy figures was closer to her.  
  
_Don't move,_ a stern voice broke through her thoughts. She recognised the voice. . . but she couldn't quite place it.  
  
_Lie still, pretend you're still out cold and for Merlin's sake don't talk to me._  
  
Suddenly it hit her - the voice belonged to none other than Professor Severus Snape. At last - someone she knew, someone who might be able to help her! She opened her eyes a bit wider to look up at the tall man standing in front of her.  
  
_Did you not understand me? Do not move! Do not speak! If anyone suspects anything we will both be killed. Stay completely still, you silly girl.  
_  
She snapped her eyes shut. She could sense the professor moving about in front of her. . . she opened her eyes a crack and peered through her lashes. Oh, if only he could help her! Surely he could help somehow, surely he could convince Voldemort to let her go. . .  
  
_Help! Please help me, Professor! Please Help!_ she strained her mind, trying to send her thoughts into his head as he was doing to her. If he could hear her he made no recognition to her telepathic pleas.  
  
He knelt down in front of her and placed something on the ground with a dull clunk. She dearly wished she could move her head to see what it was, but she remained still, as she was told.  
  
_Eat it,_ Professor Snape spoke in her mind again. _I've added a potion to help with the pain. . . I know too well what the Cruciatus can do to you. . . _  
  
She watched him stand and leave the room through her slitted eyes. She heard her Professors' voice - out loud this time - as he spoke to the other Death Eater he was with in a low voice. For a moment all she could see was the edge of his robes, flying behind him as he swept out of the room, then the door slammed and the room was dark.  
  
Hermione squeezed her eyelids closed tightly as her eyes prickled with threatening tears. For one glorious moment she had hoped that he could help her - that he would help her. But it seemed that he couldn't do anything. Maybe Dumbledore had made a terrible mistake in trusting him. Here was the proof - he was here, deep in the heart of all this mess instead of helping the Order. Maybe Ron had been right all those times when he accused Snape of being evil. . . maybe she had been wrong to defend him all those times.  
  
. . . _Ron.  
_  
Hermione's heart skipped a beat in her chest - she didn't know how long she had been in the circular chamber, and she didn't know how long she had been unconscious. It could have been hours since she had last seen Ron. Where was he? Was he ok? Was Voldemort torturing him right now for the same information he had just tried to extract from her?  
  
Wincing at the throbbing pain in her head, Hermione sat up. She wondered if she was back in the same cell that she had been in before - it was pitch black, and she couldn't see. She supposed it didn't really matter - there were no doubt hundreds of cells, just as dark and dank as this one down here, all of them as unescapable as the last.  
  
Dropping her head into her hands, she began to weep.

* * *

**A/N** Surprise! Update! Thanks to all my reviewers - love you all!  
  
Mo the Deatheater - nah, don't worry. I very rarely go on killing sprees, and when I do it's generally to kill terrible fanfic writers and people I hate. Certainly never reviewers Hope you liked this chapter. Actually - you don't have to read it, it's a Hermione one lol. But then if you don't read this chapter then you wont read this note and technically I'm just typing to myself. Well, that's just sad. . .  
  
zarahemla - thanks for reassuring me about Draco's characterisation - that means heaps :D I love Draco's real personality and would hate to make him too ooc. Hope you continue to like the story, and thanks heaps for your review!  
  
Ms. Hermione's Laughter - well, just for you I'll definitely try to get the other fic up and running again :D And I'll definitely consider writing another R/H fic as well - I'm totally obsessed with that ship. Quite a few of my stories are R/H, actually, but they're mostly humour ones.  
  
Mish1 - yeah, I think you're right actually - thanks for the advice. Most likely wont do a Draco chapter - it would just break the story and up and stuff.  
  
Awkward - you're dead right of course - thanks for the advice. I just needed reassurance that the format of the fic was working ok :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter and you still like this fic - and thanks for being such a great reader - I think you've reviewed most of my stories actually - thanks so, SO much :)  
  
bassjr - I'm so sorry it took so long to write this chapter. I can't make any promises about how quickly the next chapter will be up, but I'll try my hardest to post it within a few days. Thanks for the review!  
  
Dorthey Star - I'm not sure if I will do a Draco chapter, but rest assured there is going to be plenty of Draco in this story. And you will find out what he's getting up to, so you wont have to worry about that. Thanks so much for the review, hope you continue to enjoy the story!  
  
Anonymous - not sure if there's one of you who reviewed twice of two of you who reviewed once. . . but you both want a Draco chapter. . . I don't think I'll be writing one, but as I've said, there will be more than enough Draco in this story to keep you happy. Er. . . I hope. Tell me if there's not enough and I'll try to add more lol

(on a random side note - does this new QuickEdit feature make anyone else cry with happiness each time they upload a new chapter? I mean - look at me! I can do **bold** and _italics_ and underline or **_all of them at once!!!_** I never could figure out how to do all this fancy stuff the proper way. . . now my fics look so much classier. . . except one day I suppose I'll have to go back and reformat all my old fics. Gah. . . the thought makes me feel slightly dizzy. . .)

Anyhoo, a big general thanks to everyone. I hope you're all enjoying the story. More interesting stuff happened in this chapter - Hermione now knows what Voldemort wants - the secret to killing Harry (insert suspenseful music). And what about Snape? What do you think he's up to? Is he good? Bad? People who know me well should know the answer to that one. . .  
  
**Next Chapter** (hopefully up within a few days): Back to Ginny. Where has Draco gone? How is he going to find out the information on Potter and the Weasleys' whereabouts? And (more importantly) how on Earth is Ginny going to open that _damn_ tin can?!?


	15. Ginny 8

**The End of the World**

Chapter Fifteen: Ginny.  


How long had Ginny been down here waiting for Draco to return? Ginny didn't know for sure, but it felt like hours. Long enough for her mistrust of Draco to turn into hunger and impatience, anyway.  
  
She sat on the cold, hard floor of the basement, staring with narrowed eyes at the tin cans Draco had given her.  
  
"_Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce_," proclaimed one label.  
  
"_Sliced Peaches_," read the other.  
  
Ginny's eye twitched. She had studied the cans in great detail. The informed her of all sorts of useless facts (the spaghetti contained less that 1% fat for instance) yet neither gave any indication of how to get to the food.  
  
She had tried throwing them and standing on them, hoping they would burst open or something. She had tried puncturing the cans with her teeth and ended up with nothing but an aching jaw. She even tried burning them the bloody things over one of the candles. All _that_ had done was blacken the labels and make the cans too hot to hold on to.  
  
So now she was just sitting on the ground and staring at the infuriating Muggle inventions. If only she had her wand, then she would have been able to hex them open, or at least transfigure them into something useful. As it was, she didn't have her wand and was now attempting to open the cans using her mind.  
  
It wasn't working.  
  
She let out a growl of frustration as her vision blurred and doubled from staring too intently at the cans. Casting them a truly evil look, she stood up and marched over to the cupboard in which Draco had found them. She swung open the old wooden doors with a bang.  
  
Inside the cupboard were rows and rows of similar cans.  
  
Ginny felt her ears turn red as she struggled to repress the screams of frustration that were building up inside her.  
  
In the center of the room, the Sliced Peaches fell over.  
  
Ginny slammed the cupboard closed.  
  
oOo  
  
It was many hours later when Draco finally returned. Ginny had completely given up trying to open the cans (but had put them near the top of her _Why I Despise Draco Malfoy_ list) and had fallen asleep on the mangy couch with her stomach rumbling.  
  
Her eyes snapped open when she heard the metal rubbish bins being moved from ton top of the trapdoor entrance and she sat upright on the couch. Draco came down the stairs and stood at the bottom, swaying slightly and avoiding eye contact with her. Finally he pulled something from behind his back and threw it on the ground at his feet.  
  
"I found your bag," he said. There was another moments silence.  
  
"And my family?" Ginny demanded, her heart throbbing painfully in her throat. Draco let out a deep sigh and sat down heavily on the bottom stair. It was bad news, Ginny could sense it. They were all dead. Draco had seen them. His dad had probably killed them all-  
  
"They're all in Azkaban. Potter. Your family."  
  
"And Hermione?"  
  
"Her too."  
  
Draco fell silent again, staring at the floor. Ginned chewed her bottom lip, absorbing this information.  
  
"But they're alive?"  
  
"As far as I know."  
  
There was another pregnant pause. Ginny stood up.  
  
"Right then. Well, that's where I have to go." She strode over to her bad and swung it over her shoulder. Draco finally looked her in the face and Ginny noticed for the first time how incredibly pale he was - much paler than usual.  
  
"Go?" he asked incredulously. "_Go_? To Azkaban? And how the hell are you going to get there? Do you even know where it is?"  
  
Ginny opened her mouth to reply but she didn't have anything to say.  
  
"And even if you _did_ get there, then what would you do? Do you seriously think you're a match for the Dark Lord and all his Death Eaters? Do you really think that you can just turn up there and they'll all be set free?"  
  
Ginny felt her courage and resolve slip away as Draco's words hit home. He was right. She didn't know how to get to Azkaban. She had no plans, she had no way to save them.  
  
"They're my family. My friends," she whispered finally. "I can't just let them die."  
  
"To try and rescue them would be suicide. It's impossible."  
  
"But I have to try."  
  
"Then you will die," he snapped.  
  
Ginny fell silent at Draco's harsh words. A single tear slipped out of her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek.  
  
"You don't understand, Draco. There's nothing else I have left. Look around - the country is in ruins. It's the end of the world. There's nothing left."  
  
"There's nothing you have left? What about your _life_?"  
  
"Voldemort has finally won. I'm going to be killed sooner or later, aren't I? I don't want to stay in hiding. If I'm going to die, I want to die fighting. I'll die fighting to save my family, like they would do for me."  
  
Ginny's voice cracked as she tried desperately not to cry. There was no point in crying. She would meet her death bravely. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her weak and vulnerable. She was a Gryffindor. She took a deep, shuddering breath and blinked back her tears.  
  
"You're a fool," Draco stated softly. "No one ever got anywhere by risking their life for other people. You have to look after yourself. There are more important things in life than running around trying to save other people just because you think they'd do it for you. When push comes to shove, they probably wouldn't."  
  
Ginny gazed at Draco, amazed that anyone could be that bitter, that pessimistic.  
  
"They would. My family would. My friends would. They've done it before, and they would do it again."  
  
"You can't save them. Why walk straight into the clutches of the people who are just going to kill you? What will that achieve? _Nothing_."  
  
"At least I will die with dignity. I'll die knowing I tried. I'll die knowing that I never gave up."  
  
Ginny stood her ground, her jaw set and her eyes determined even as they continued to shine with tears. Draco said nothing. There was nothing he could say they would make her see sense. She seemed fully determined to walk out of this room no matter what he said. Finally he spoke again.  
  
"You can't do it alone," he said so softly that Ginny had to strain to hear him.  
  
"What?" Ginny eyed him icily.  
  
"You're can't save them by yourself."  
  
Ginny was silent.  
  
"Then you'll have to come with me."  
  
Draco sighed in defeat, and rubbed tiredly at his shadowed eyes.  
  
"I guess I will."  
  
oOo  
  
**A/N** No question as to what house they were put in, huh? So - what do you think about all this? Do you think Draco will actually be able to help her, or does this just mean that now Draco will be killed as well? And the 100Galleon question. . . how did Draco find out where they were? What took him so long?  
  
Thanks for reviewing - love you all (of course)  
  
Depth of Soul: lol - I honestly don't mind if you only read the Ginny chapters. As long as you enjoy them, that's all that matters to me lol. There are a couple of other people doing that as well, so you're not alone. Yeah, I know they chapters are kinda short compared to other people's fics, but they're pretty long compared to my other fics lol. I dunno. . . I just can't seem to write really long ones. I always come to a really good place to stop when they're still quite short. But the less I write, the quicker each chapter gets done and the quicker you get updates :P As for the Draco chapter. . . I thought you wanted to read just the Ginny ones so you find out everything as she does!!! I probably wont be writing a Draco one now (reasons for that in the last chapter), but don't worry - there is going to be a ton of Draco in this fic anyway!!  
  
Marauder Angel: Glad you like it!! Thanks for the review, sorry it took a bit longer to post this chapter, but it's here now :D Hopefully the next will be up soon.  
  
SarkLover: Wow, thank you! Your review gave me the warm and fuzzies. Hope you liked this chapter as much as the rest.  
  
Mo the Deatheater: Oh, I talk to myself too. I just try to avoid doing it when other people can witness it :P Well, I feel very flattered that you read the Hermione chapter even though you only wanted to read the Ginny ones. Although I think you read all the Hermione ones anyway, didn't you? Ah well. The point is, this is a Ginny chapter so you better read it. Thanks so much for all your reviews!!  
  
Awkward: Glad your exams are over! Hope they went well. Thanks so much for saying how nicely the story flowed etc - it means so much to hear that. Thank you for all your reviews - you're fabulous!!  
  
Severus Lover: Don't worry cupcake, there's going to be plenty more Snape in this fic. I hope. Well, of course there will be, I'm obsessed with him. I can't believe I wrote 15 chapters and only had him appear for several paragraphs in chapter 14!! But there will be more Snape-action, don't you worry.  
  
Sage and Snape: lol, oh she'll eat it eventually, I'm sure. Yeah, his telepathic powers are like Legilimency. Some branch of it or something. I hadn't really though exactly how it worked, but figured if he can read minds then why not talk to people in their head as well. Or. . . something. Ah well, the fact is he can :P There will be more Snape, of course. How can I not have him in here. Mmmm mysterious what-side-is-he-on-today?!Snape :P Will probably find out what happened to Ron in the next chapter. Of course, I haven't really thought that far ahead (you know how I write - I'm surprised this fic even has a plot lol) but he might be there. Who knows.  
  
So, yep. That's all for now really. If you're looking for other fics to read, then definitely check out my faves list - there are heaps of great fics on it. Most of them are humour ones, but if you like more serious ones, then I definitely recommend Sage and Snape's trilogy - it's really long (and still going) but totally, totally worth it. I've been following it for over a year now and it's still fabulous. Heaps of fantastic InCharacter!Snape and a dead sexy original character. You can't go wrong :P Anyhoo, start with the first fic called _Snape's Student Sage revised_, and then read the other two (the latest chapter in the third fic is something to look forward to - it's bloody hysterical!!). Oh, and review of course!!

I'll recommend some others in the next chapter, if you want - if you're looking for good stories then tell me what sort of stuff you're looking for (ships, genre etc) and I'll recommend some for you - I read a LOT of fics!!  
  
Anyhoo...  
  
**Next Chapter:** What do Hermione, Ron, Snape and potion-enhanced porridge have in common? They're all in Chapter 16. (Incidentally, this is now officially my longest fic - I've only got one other fic that is 15 chapter's long and it doesn't have as many words. And this one is still going!! Wow. . . I'm impressed lol)


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